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yenhan · 2 months ago

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TF141 X Retail worker!Reader

Masterlist

a/n: tf141 x retail worker!reader because the international student au reader is busy, lol

Synopsis: Kyle is the best customer you could ask for, but his teammates aren't as easy.

At first, London seemed like a dream. Hustle, grit, fashion week, the chaos of creativity all bottled into a city that never took a breath. Too bad the reality was different. It wasn’t the long hours that crushed you, it was the people, the endless ladder climbing, the sneers hidden behind faux-kind smiles, the stinging burn of rejection from agencies that only saw numbers, not vision. For someone like you, soft around the edges, it was suffocating. So, you left. “I didn’t fail,” you told yourself. “I just chose something else.”

Now, you were here, in a sleepy tiny town tucked far from madness, working in retail in a cozy boutique on the corner of a cobbled high street. The shop had charm. All reclaimed wood shelves and vintage Edison bulbs, racks lined with pre-loved jackets, silk scarves, old military coats with stories stitched into their hems. Some days were slow. Most were, but you liked the pace. You liked knowing the regulars by name, their styles by heart.

Your signature Ferrari bomber jacket hung over your shoulder, bright red, bold white racing stripes down the sleeves. It had survived seven years and at least three attempted red wine assassinations. Half the people who walked in complimented it. The other half gave you a knowing look when they spotted the prancing horse.

“I know,” you’d sigh with a smirk. “Being a Ferrari fan is practically a tragic personality trait.” The jacket made people smile. It made you smile. And in your world, that was enough.

Your favorite customers were a group of four men who’d started showing up sometime last year. You didn’t know how they found you, though it wasn’t surprising. Most of your customers came from word-of-mouth; a recommendation from a friend, or sheer luck during a caffeine-fueled detour. Either way, once they got in, they kept coming back.

Kyle was the first. Friendly, easygoing, with a sparkle of curiosity behind those warm chocolate eyes. He liked trying new styles, often picked your brain about fabrics and cuts, and wasn’t shy about flipping through racks with genuine enthusiasm. The two of you hit it off quickly. You’d talk fashion—designers, eras, tailoring techniques, so on and so forth. Every now and then, you’d catch him scribbling notes into his phone like he didn’t want to forget what you’d said. You had a stupid smile plastered on your face for the rest of the shift.

Johnny followed soon after. Something about his roguish charm and mischief wrapped in a thick Scottish accent made your heart flip. He made a game of flirting with you, asking which shirt made him look like a rockstar, which trousers “hugged the right bits.” You didn’t mind. It wasn’t sleazy and disgustingly creepy like Mr. Lambert’s comments; it was just cheeky. “’s fun, right, hen?”

The Scot had been through something, there was a scar that curved into his hairline, and sometimes, you caught him checking exits a little too carefully, but he always smiled at you as if the world wasn’t heavy on his back.

One day, Kyle told you the others would drop by the shop for a quick tour. “The captain and lieutenant,” he explained, hanging a pressed crimson sweater on the rack. “Figured you might help. Price—John—needs to stop dressing like a dad who bought a motorcycle to impress his ex. And Ghost... well, he’s allergic to color. I won’t be there, love. Good luck.”

You laughed, finding his concerns exaggerated. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

And oh boy, you did.

—

The bell above the door chimed, and in walked two figures whose attires screamed ‘suspicious crime syndicate members.’ One was broad-shouldered, bearded, and wore a low cap over his brow. The other looming shadow wore black jeans and a hoodie, eyes unreadable under a dark skull-printed mask.

“Y’alright?” John Price’s voice was gravel and warmth, all wrapped in one delicious burrito. “You’re the one tryin’ to make us fashionable?”

“I try to guide people. Whether they listen is another matter.” You corrected him.

Ghost didn’t say anything. He stood by the door like a gothic statue, gazing from wall to window to floor, like the entire place might collapse under the weight of vintage cardigans. You offered him a polite smile. He didn’t return it.

So. That was Simon, you’d find out his birth name much much later.

Gaz had warned you. But warnings didn’t quite prepare you for the presence of someone who could dissolve into a shadow if he really wanted to. You felt your smile falter a little. “Be gentle with the lieutenant, bonnie. He’s got the fashion sense of a funeral director. Easily spooked, tha’ one.” You remembered Johnny saying it. That Hulk of a man didn’t really seem easily spooked or affected by anything at all. But you’d learned not to trust the Scotsman’s judgement on people. Last time he said your newborn nephew looked like Sid from Ice Age and you’d never felt so offended.

“Well, let me know if anything makes you feel like you’re on a runway show,” you offered lightly, mostly to Price. “Or at least less of a fashion crime.”

That earned you a huff of amusement from the captain. “That obvious, huh?”

You studied him openly, eyes running over his old leather jacket, faded jeans, boots that looked like they’d seen more mud than pavement. “I'm getting 'I'm about to start a podcast about whisky and post-divorce toxic masculinity' vibes.”

Ghost let out a short snort. Yes, that sound had come from him. Price, on the other hand, barked a laugh and pointed a finger at you.

“Cheeky. Sorry for the trouble, birdie.”

—

The next thirty minutes were… interesting.

Price started by rejecting everything. Every coat was too soft, every shirt too ��bloody posh’, every jumper looked like something his dad would’ve worn to the pub. But he kept trying them on, kept letting you adjust the collar, roll up sleeves, hold a mirror just right. “Don’t see what’s wrong with the leather one I’ve got.”

“John, you don’t want women to guess you’re divorced and why just by your looks.” You deadpanned behind a rack. The man stopped complaining after that.

“Tell me the truth,” he inquired once, eyeing a fitted navy peacoat. “Do I look like someone who owns a boat?”

“You look like someone who pretends to own a boat to impress his Tinder date.”

He gave you a mildly confused look. “What’s Tinder?”

Meanwhile, Ghost hadn’t moved an inch. You tried subtle nudges. Held up a long black coat with silver snap buttons. No response. Picked out a designer knit jumper with a high neck. Nothing. Finally, you took a risk.

You stepped closer, gentle but not meek. “Look, I’m not gonna try and make you wear lime green or anything. But you’re a tall guy. Broad frame. You could make half of this stuff look terrifying in a clever way.”

He tilted his head just enough to make the skull motif shift with him. “Not here to impress anyone.”

“Fair. But comfort isn’t just about fabric. It’s about feeling like yourself. Or... the version of you that you don’t mind being seen.”

Silence. Again. After a moment, he reached out and you had to stifle your holy hell as he plucked the coat you’d offered off the rack. Then he disappeared into the changing room.

You turned back to Price, whose eyes held something vaguely amused. “I owe Kyle a pint,” he winked.

Ghost walked out of the fitting room, and the entire shop seemed to still for a moment. The coat suited him like it had been tailored specifically for his bulk. The wool draped across his shoulders and the belt cinched just enough to emphasize the lean strength of his torso.

…

“Could be worse.”

You beamed. That was a five-star review coming from him.

Eventually, both men found something they liked. Price left with the peacoat and a rugged forest green henley. Ghost kept the long coat and to your absolute delight, picked up a navy blue shirt as they were checking out. You didn’t mention it. You figured calling attention to it might break the spell.

At the register, Price handed over his card with a smirk. “Suppose I owe you an apology, birdie. Thought this’d be a waste of time...”

“Don’t worry. I’ll pretend you were a nightmare and insulted my entire stock.”

“Attagirl.”

—

Later that evening, Kyle poked his head back in while you tidied the place back into shape. “They liked you,” he cheered.

“I’m irresistible.”

“Nah, seriously. You made Ghost wear something that wasn’t from a tactical catalog. That’s magic.” You rolled your eyes. However, when he left and you locked the door behind him, a little glow lingered in your chest.

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joonsytip · 5 months ago

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Left for Ruins || Seungcheol [Teaser]

Pairing: Seungcheol x Fem!Reader

Genre: Angst, Crime, Smut, Fluff, Office Worker Husband!Seungcheol, Investigative Journalist Wife!Reader

Synopsis: Being an investigative journalist, you would do anything to unravel the truth, even if it means getting married to the timid office worker Choi Seungcheol, who was in fact the best friend of your brother who went missing seven years ago.

Warnings: Mentions of all sorts of criminal activities, reader and Seungcheol are two people with contrasting personalities, exploitation, gaslighting, heavy themes involving syndicate etc.

Thanks to @diamonddaze01 for the amazing banner! ♡

Comment or send an ask if you wanna be tagged.

[ SVT Masterlist ] [ SVT Flick - Fic Masterlist ]

“I want you to marry me.”

Seungcheol is currently cornered, shying away from the proximity, unable to meet eyes even.

“W-Why do you want me to marry you?”, he manages to utter, body leaning back in reflex as you close in further.

All he gets from you is a very known cunning smile.

As you watch him like he's a prey, he pleads with you to give him some space.

“You're in your thirties, don't have a partner, got a stable job and a clean image. Don't you think we'd look good together?”, your hands take off his glasses, making him look into your eyes, “You are handsome and I've known you for as long as I can remember.”

Seungcheol finds it hard to maintain eye contact. Always soft spoken, he hesitates to ask you questions.

He needs time, he needs a push. You know it all and you know him all too well.

As expected, his hands reach yours to get back his glasses. He gently takes it and puts it back on. His eyes meet yours at his own will, for the first time that night.

“I’m practically blind without my glasses.”, he says softly, “Can I ask you some questions? Will you please answer them? And I have a lot to ask.”

You find it amusing, the way he awaits your response. If you deny, you're sure no questions will be asked. You're confident that you'd be able to coax him into marrying you with no such difficulties anyways.

You're known to be ruthless. You don't bat an eye before deceiving people, lies naturally flow out of your mouth.

When you give a nod, he asks you to take a seat, mainly for himself so you could back off and he could finally breathe.

“You've known me for years, Y/N. And I'm sure you're not asking me to marry you because you have feelings for me. Tell me the truth and I'll consider it.”

Your eyes glint dangerously but it's gone suddenly.

Your face falls, melancholia starts pouring into the atmosphere.

“I’ll be honest.”, you say, sounding sincere, “You were closest to my brother. It's been seven years since I saw him. I heard time heals but for me it's making things worse. I still can't believe that a good person like Daon would disappear overnight.”

Seungcheol takes the seat beside you, his heart aching in the memories of his best friend.

Your gaze drops at your lap, letting the sudden wave of tears stream down your face. It's a wound, unattended, always fresh.

With a croak in your voice you continue, “My brother trusted you the most and for me, I know that you've always tried to be a shelter, looking over as a guardian figure.”

Seungcheol’s demeanor is similar to yours, as he says, “When Daon disappeared, I just couldn't forgive myself. It always occurred to me that I should have searched more, did I give up too early? What if he's still waiting for me? I'll always live with this guilt.”

You both sit in silence.

“We could never repay you, what you did for us back then is something not even family members do.”, you feel Seungcheol go stiff when you place your hand on top of his, “My mom is nagging me to get married and I realised I trust you a lot. That if I gotta do this, I'd rather do it with you. I feel safe around you, Cheol.”

His ears are turning red, mouth going dry. His entire body screams for help.

You study him carefully, lips twitching as he excuses himself out of his home office for a moment.

As soon as he's out, you're off your seat.

“You're insane, Y/N.”, you could sense the disbelief in the voice coming from the earpiece, “You should be an actress.”

“Shut up, Jeonghan.”, you say through gritted teeth, “I have never let my hair down for this long, it's starting to irritate me. My ears are itching.”, you fix your hair so it covers the device in your ear.

Your mouth launches a string of complaints while your hands place work effortlessly to plant bugs over several places.

“The guy seems like a decent person. Throwing a marriage proposal just to wiretap his office seems a bit too much.”, Jeonghan keeps on speaking through the earpiece, "What if he agrees to the marriage, how are you so sure he won't?

You pay no attention to his rambles, skimming through the papers and files, eyes often darting to the door.

“Make sure the devices are working fine. I placed only one camera though, no place to hide others.”, your brows furrow as you go through the files, “Nothing useful here. Maybe I could get something in the drawers.”

But the sounds of footsteps approaching makes you halt.

Seungcheol on entering back notices you in the same stance as when he leaves you.

He carefully walks towards you, almost guilty when he kneels in front of you, “I appreciate that you think so highly of me but we're exactly opposite in terms of personality and aspirations. We won't work out. I'm sorry, Y/N but I can't marry you.”

You hear Jeonghan sighing in relief.

“Woah, he really didn't take the bait.”, you hear him mumbling, “We're done here. It's time for you to leave.”

Jeonghan is about to speak again but he hears sobs.

Seungcheol eyes you in horror as he watches you sob hysterically. Your eyes are red, nose flaring.

“Why don't you understand, Cheol?”, you choke, struggling to speak but do nonetheless, “Do I really need to spell it out for you!!”

Jeonghan shrieks on the other side, this wasn't on the card.

“Calm down Y/N.”, Seungcheol hesitantly holds your hands.

A second later he's about to turn to grab water for you but freezes.

“I like you, Choi Seungcheol! I really like you, a lot.”

Seungcheol's shaky hands somehow manage to grab your face, his eyes searching for yours, “Do you mean it?”

You scoff internally.

“Do I look like I'm joking?”, you say wiping your tears.

He observes you for a moment then you're being pulled into his embrace. Your lips curl up instantly.

Good for you, your tears flow as swiftly as your lies.

→ Do not copy, re-post, translate, or share any of my works on other platforms! All stories are copyrighted, joonsytip. ©️

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ts19009 · 6 months ago

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Seventeen Fic Rec's Part 4

(CONTAINS SMUT AND MATURE SUBJECT MATTER)

(Bold title means favorite)

(UPDATED: February 24th, 2025)

OT13

subtle svt dating.@xinganhao

PEDAL TO THE METAL (series masterlist) @diamonddaze01 (Welcome to the world of F1, where the cars go fast, the stakes go higher, and the drama never lifts off the throttle. Seventeen rules the grid—from precision strategies to podium glory. Whether it’s navigating a hairpin turn or a tricky love confession, the tension is always at maximum revs. So tighten your harness and adjust your visors—this isn’t just a race; it’s the ride of a lifetime.)

the lords who loved me (series masterlist) @amourcheol (smut, fluff, angst, bridgerton! au, regency au! for certain fics -> friends with benefits! au, opposites attract! au, sunshine x grumpy! au, slow burn! au, forbidden love! au, enemies to lovers! au)

what 2 am with them looks like @cxffecoupx

The Syndicates Collection @sailorsoons (this collection contains individual fics with each member of SVT paired with a different reader that occur in the same universe/AU and timeline. Each story is a stand alone, but three of them do have a connected/overarching plot. You do not need to read all of them to understand what’s going on, and all of the fics can be read as standalone one shots.)

Mingyu

Dessert First @highvern (baker! mingyu, wedding planner!YN, fluff, smut, angst, exes to lovers)

Cinnamon @daechwitatamic (You finally decide to try and move on after years of waiting for Mingyu to return your feelings. But when you start bringing your new boyfriend around more often, things with Mingyu get... difficult.)

Sunsets In December @nerdycheol (architect major!mingyu x literature major!f reader)

the budget @fxstpace (photography student!kim mingyu x art student!fem!reader)

lost in the west @starlightkyeom (fake dating (kind of), friends to lovers, holiday!au | fluff, smut, romance)

What they think @priisprii (idol au, Sugar daddy!Mingyu x sugar baby!reade)

So High School @lavnderwonu (fiancé!mingyu x pregnant!fem!reader)

HOW SWEET @hannieehaee (enemies to lovers, pining, one sided crush that becomes two sided!, afab reader, smut, teasing, semi public sex (its done in a public establishment but no one is there), breast play, food play (frosting on tits basically), fingering, handjob, penetrative sex, etc.)

flashing lights masterlist @gyuhao5 (model!minghao x f!assistant!reader x actor!mingyu)

EIGHT FIRST DATES @minkieater (maybe boys your age just weren’t your thing. after a sudden lunch date, you were already half convinced the search was over— had you found the man you were bringing to your family’s thanksgiving? how will chan take the news?)

Love Me Out Loud @twogyuu (Kim Mingyu was your first, but to him, he was for sure you were his endgame. One year out from university, no one expected you to be dating the former campus heartthrob. It's why you had to hide it from everyone – Mingyu's 14.5K Instagram followers, at least. However, the return of your childhood best friend Kim Taehyung to Seoul for a wedding, forces Mingyu to rethink the secrecy of your whole relationship. )

second servings @diamonddaze01(It’s safe to say that this Thanksgiving has been a rousing success)

sage & stardust @smileysuh (Fairy au, fantasy au, non idol. )

A Helping Hand - Part Two @idyllic-ghost (office worker!Mingyu x office worker!fem!reader Genre: office romance, enemies to lovers, fluff, angst, smut, coworkers-with-benefits)

Sit Down @gyuswhore (getting aroused by the other's jealousy/obsession with them, "Could he/she/they do it like this?”, “you're sexy when you're angry”)

Glass Towers @mr-cha-n (fluff, angst, smut, architect AU)

Sex Education @svtiddiess (In all your years of education you learned that there are many methods to study: flashcards, study groups, the pomodoro method etc. But you find that practice is better than theory. And what better way to study Biology than practice with your study buddy?)

the very first night @fxstpace (romance, angst, smut, exes to lovers!au, roommates!au)

Warm welcome @cherry-hulu (Nothing like a warm welcome for Mingyu after a stressful day at work. Warnings: Ceo!KMG x Sugar baby!reader)

so high school | kmg | part 2 @cherriegyuu (when you’re suddenly thrown in Mingyu’s direction, you have no choice but to stay by his side, and maybe it’s not as bad as you think)

Wonwoo

hanging by a moment @haologram (t's been a few years since you've been home for your birthday, and wonwoo can't wait to see you...right?)

Sucker For You @honeyhae-svt (smut, romance, humor, slice of life, wonwoo x reader, college au, slow burn to fast burn, mutual pining, friends to lovers, cockwarming, gamer wonwoo, subtle dominance, light degradation, reader insert, cute dynamics, playful teasing, soft/dom wonwoo, loser!wonwoo x popular!reader.)

Through the Lens @mr-cha-n (Smut, fluff, photographer x model AU)

BOYFRIEND WONWOO ˖ . ݁𝜗𝜚. ݁₊ @seokmn

Born Superhero @thedensworld (Started as clueless father to superhero, watch how Wonwoo grow as a father... And a husband.)

never leave this bed @straylightdream (husband!jeon wonwoo x curvy!f.reader)

Love under a Microscope @whitesugarbaybee (Pathologist!Wonwoo x pathologist fem!reader Genre: Doctor au, shefellfirst-he fell harder, crack, fluff)

Sold For A Soul @tusswrites (making bargains with the devil in exchange for a chance to glory. lies, deception and uncovered feelings in a world of glitz and glam.)

Steam IV @highvern (ATLA au, enemies(?) to lovers, forbidden romance, royalty au)

1-800-got-stress @seokminfilm (non-idol au, college/professor au, slight romance (?), english professor wonwoo x teacher's assistant reader, tiny sprinkles of humor, one-sided crush (?), wonwoo is very dense when it comes to reader's romantic feelings (not really though), reader still loves him anyways, cute ending??)

In Front of Me (1) @wonustars (bestfriends to (?), angst, smut (R: 18+ mdni))

ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴛᴡɪɴᴇᴅ -- ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪɴ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ (pt 2) @shuastar (ᴀʀᴄʜᴅᴜᴋᴇ!ᴡᴏɴᴡᴏᴏ x ᴀʀᴄʜᴅᴜᴄʜᴇꜱꜱ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ) I'm obsessed with this one.

Heart of the Sea @highvern (angst, romance, adventure, pirate!au, royalty!au)

king of my heart @strawberrynamjoon (soulmates au?, non idol au)

Sweetest thing @sailorrhansol (Dad!Wonwoo x Mom!reader For the first Halloween in years, you and Wonwoo are able to enjoy it together without the kids. When you feel a little nervous about your costume, Wonwoo is determined to show you that you’ve always been the sweetest thing. )

after the seminar @smileysuh (sugar daddy Wonwoo, gentleman in the streets/softdom in the sheets, reader doesn't want to make choices, daddy/control kink, fingering, multiple orgasms, oral, blow job, deep throating, dirty talk, praise, masturbation, unprotected sex, holding hands while fucking, implied breeding/fullness kink, etc… I pet names: (hers) honey. (his) daddy.)

Joshua

all the petty scenes & all the pretty things @starlightkyeom ((one-sided) enemies to lovers, strangers to lovers (kinda) | smut & fluff)

Streak @wonwootattoo (it doesn't give a description, but know I loved this one)

not according to plan | hjs @starlightkyeom(fake dating, strangers to friends to ?? | fluff, slight angst, smut)

I (do)n't need you Pt. 1 @thestraybunny (Inspired by 2 minus 1 by Vernon and Joshua.It's been seven months since you and Joshua broke up, and you are still convincing yourselves that you don't need each other.)

royally screwed [m] @husbandhoshi ( between remembering last night’s party and pleasing your unrelenting family, you think being a princess is hard enough. then you’re thrust into an arranged marriage to royal darling joshua hong—straight-laced, infuriatingly obedient, and everything you’re not. pretending to be the perfect couple? impossible.)

love thy neighbor @junkissed (fwb! neighbor!joshua x f reader)

Lies and Butterflies @bluehoodiewoozi (fake dating au; mostly fluff.)

𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 @yerimacoustic (after the princess falls mysteriously ill, joshua, born with powers no one else in the palace knows about, becomes her caretaker.)

in a span of three months @viastro (in which you teach joshua how to live.)

Catalyst @hwanghyunjinenthusiast (A trip to your brother and niece's brings feelings your husband has been shoving down for months to the surface.)

Juno @shuafiles (one of me is cute, but two though? give it to me baby)

Jeonghan

don’t you want me, baby? — yjh @seungkw1 (80s au, romance, humor)

sweet monday afternoons @straylightdream (nonidol, linecook! jeonghan, waitress/baker!reader)

Merger & Acquisition (Of My Heart) @mr-cha-n(Jeonghan thought navigating corporate mergers was hard—turns out, navigating corporate mergers with his ex is harder.)

storm @tonicandjins (fluff, married life)

i'll always say it's you ; yoon jeonghan @junplusone (childhood best friends to ??? to ???, swearing, drinking (+ underage), talk of joshua and cheol's arm muscles, mention of drugs in a joke like once i think, caffeine addiction, peak delusion, jeonghan cheating in games as always, hella yearning)

reverse uno @twogyuu (Fluff, dad!jeonghan, mom!reader, uncle!wonwoo)

the gambit —- y.jh @miniseokminnies 9enemies to lovers, rivals to lovers, 1960s au, university au, chess club president!jeonghan, club member!yn)

fated strut- pt. i @beomcoups (greek god!Jeonghan x model!reader)

daylight @kpopflowerfield (jeonghan is moving on from a heartbreak, starting again and making every experience feel new with you.)

Minghao

muddled hearts 🍹 x.mh @haologram (artender!xu minghao x fem!waitress!reader | side pairings: restaurant owners!jeongcheol ; bartender!seungkwan x waiter!hansol ; chef!mingyu x hostess!tzuyu (twice))

the xu minghao dilemma @shuaflix(fluff, humor, suggestive, coffee shop au, college au, childhood friends to lovers au)

\caught in bloom, caught on you @wheeboo (in which you find yourself becoming a regular𑁋or perhaps more than that𑁋at minghao's flower shop.)

lost in translation ♾️ @ylangelegy (translator/interpreter!reader, idiots in love, yearning!!!, hurt/comfort, confessions. alcohol consumption, reader gets a [minor] surgery)

Seokmin

Hint. Hint. HINT!!! @nerdycheol (College AU, Fluff, Mutual Pining, Oblivious Crush)

smooth operator @ylangelegy (f1 racer!seokmin x ferrari race engineer!reader)

break your heart right back @kyeomszone (lovers to exes mingyu. rough sex. model! mingyu. cheating. baseball player! dokyeom. penetrative sex. gentle sex. body worship. oral sex (fem receiving). overstimulation. fem reader.)

Totally Scrooged @highvern (neighbor!au, idiots to lovers, fluff/angst/smut)

triple-dog dare @eoieopda (childhood best friends to lovers)

because even then, i knew @catboyieejeno (non idol! seokmin x reader, stanger to lovers / kdrama au)

The Somerset Affair | Chapter 2: When the Music Stops @diamonddaze01 (Bridgerton AU, friends to (?????) to eventual lovers, brother’s best friend, SLOWWWW BURNNN)

assumptions @seokminfilm (major league baseball player!seokmin, popular x nobody,)

Chan

between you and me @haologram (holiday au. bffs to exes to lovers (what a doozy); angst, fluff, smut.)

Chapter One: How to Not Get Stabbed @mr-cha-n (action, smut, angst, fluff, superhero AU)

Kwon Soonyoung

Beggin' On My Knees @highvern (After another run in with the law, you come to terms with the fact your friends might be right about your fiancé.)

Espresso @highvern (dom/sub dynamics (switches back and forth), public fondling/exhibitionism, dry humping, fingering, breath play, oral sex (all the kinds), swallowing, spitting, degradation (reader calls herself a slut, hoshi has a moral dilemma about it), spanking, vaginal sex, anal sex, unprotected sex, double penetration, sex toys (butt plug, dildo))

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clipartdinosaur · 1 year ago

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Griddlehark Fics

I have read an absolutely insane amount of Griddlehark fanfics in the past few months so I figured I could make a like...list of all of my favorites that I bookmarked. I'm not sure if anyone will use this but if anything it will be for my own self-indulgence LOL. Just a heads up, this list WILL contain spoilers up to Nona the Ninth, so proceed with your own discretion. Anyway here we go!

(♥︎ = favorite!)

Short (<15k):

"By the Sword" by JeanLuciferGohard (2.6k)

The Reverend Daughter of the Ninth, Necrosaint, Ascended, the greatest bone adept in an Age, does one push-up, and collapses. Harrow does not beg for her cavalier. Harrow rakes her hair back and snarls, “Nav, I am going to unzip your cranial sutures. One by one. And zip them up again sideways.”

"Your Necro Questions Answered" by Magichorse (8.8k)

Syndicated columnist "Nav the Cav" offers a sympathetic ear to cavaliers across the galaxy and dispenses practical, no-nonsense, real talk advice on how to properly manage and care for your necromancer.

"A Lesson in Bones" by Magichorse (3.8k)

One of the laboratory trials at Canaan House compels Harrowhark to swap bodies with her cavalier. What will Gideon do with the power of the most talented bone adept in generations at her disposal? Nothing good, probably.

"Visions of Gideon" by tothewillofthepeople (13k)

Oh my god they were roommates...

"true love's kiss, or something equally nauseating" by corpsesoldier (4.6k)

She was where she needed to be. She was going to pull her necro out of this godforsaken tomb, end the game of musical bodies they were playing, and then everything would be all right. Harrow would be alive. And Gideon was going to give her shit for approximately the next myriad for not just taking what she’d offered and saving them a whole lot of trouble.

"The Big Warm Dark" by decalexas (haelstorm) (2.7k)

Gideon Nav knows how to swing a longsword, brandish a rapier, bridge the gap between life and death, punch the dead in the face, and maybe overthrow an Empire along the way. What she doesn't know how to do is reach for the girl who made all of this possible.

"carrion comfort, despair (not feast on thee)" by NotAFicWriter (5k)

Some time after Alecto wakes, Harrow and Gideon finally have a moment to speak to one another. Hearts are bared. Teeth are bared. Intentions are bared. It all comes at great personal cost (emotional honesty).

"never exhale all the way" by pigflight (1.2k)

Harrowhark paints Gideon's face.

"such an almighty sound" by CountingNothings (10k)♥︎

“I need you to marry me,” Harrow says, a propos of absolutely nothing that Gideon can see. And, uh, okay, this is not what childhood best frenemies say to each other upon discovering that both of their graduate programs have weird residence requirements. “What,” Gideon asks, “the fuck?”

"A Handsomely Dangerous Thing" by zoicite (1.5k)

Had Harrow ever looked at Gideon and felt pride before? Surely not. It sat like a tumor in her chest, a cancerous lump that had grown where it did not belong.

"How it didn't happen" by Nary (1.5k)

"How did you lose it?" Coronabeth asked, more softly than her sister's shrill voice. The group assembled at Canaan House barely knew her, and yet here they were, asking the most irritatingly personal questions, and acting as if they were being kind and thoughtful by prying into her secrets. "I dropped my pen into a vat of acid and reached in to grab it without thinking," Harrow said dryly. Coronabeth recoiled, screwing up her pretty nose. Ianthe looked unsure whether to believe her or not. Their meatslab of cavalier just stared blankly. "The Daughter of the Ninth House was blessed in this manner from her birth, as a symbol of her strength and power over the mysteries of necromancy," Ortus interjected. Harrow glared at him. "Oh," Coronabeth said, an expression of disgusting sympathy on her flawless face. "But then you would never have known who your soulmate was!" Harrow's glare intensified. "My soulmate is bones."

"Halcyon Nights" by Morike91 (10k)

It was hard to tell what was worse: feeling the full warmth of those unguarded honey eyes fall on Harrow, or watching them narrow in recognition and contempt, their warmth now hotter with something else. “What can I get you?” It has been at least four years since Harrow last heard the voice of Gideon Nav, but it was still as familiar as her right hand.

"I completely fucking hate you" by ClaraZorEl (7.5k)

In the coming weeks, Harrowhark learns an unfortunate great deal about Gideon Nav. The kind of porn she likes, the number of bread rolls she can fit into her mouth at once, that she always leans too heavily on her left leg when she fights but can do fifty-seven push-ups in a row without stopping, that her biceps rates 11/10 on the scale of good biceps, that her laugh rumbles like an army of skeletons, and most importantly, that she can’t fucking stand her. Gideon Nav is so grating that Harrow has no doubt she will be her undoing. OR Harrowhark Nonagesimus has been invited to Canaan University's ball. But to successfully represent her house, she needs a cavalier, and unfortunately, her only option is her least favourite barista from her least favourite coffee shop.

"A Thousand Teeth, Yours Among Them" by pipistrelle (7k)

"In the end, she poisoned Ortus; so it was Harrow Nova who walked out to the shuttle a half-step behind the Daughter of the Ninth, the chain of Samael Novenary wound about her offhand wrist, the black blade of the Ninth at her side."

"The Only Prayer We Know" by pipistrelle (12k) [Part 2 of "A Thousand Teeth, Yours Among Them"]

It's like a bad joke: two cavaliers (alive) and two necromancers (one dead) walk into a rebel faction of humanity, looking for a new life -- in every sense of the phrase. What they find is each other, and (in some cases) themselves.

"The Flames of Hell Are Warm" by silverapples (7k)

In which Harrow is a repressed evangelical Christian and Gideon performs burlesque in a lesbian nightclub. Feat. nipple pasties, chewing gum, and a steaming mug of gay coffee (wake up and smell it, Harrow).

"Necro Business" by rnanqo (1.6k) ♥︎

“Gideon,” you said carefully, “I will need to examine your mouth. Various structures, primarily the jaw, but also the lingual muscles—the tongue—” You stopped there. Your cheeks were going red, probably with indignity. “Yeah,” I said, a bit too loudly, “yeah, sure. Do it.”

"Holy Cross, Alaska" by softieghost (10k) ♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎

Harrow meets Gideon. They go through it together.

"my love will be your armor" by TheKnightsWhoSayBook (2.3k)

"The princess has a right to bestow her favor on whoever she wishes to win a match," Gideon tells her. "Are you going to?" "Why would I? I don't want to marry him," Harrow answers bitterly. "Do you want me to win?" Princess Harrow will be engaged to the winner of the tournament, and her only champion is her useless bodyguard Sir Gideon Nav, who isn't going to save her. Unless...?

"The Meaning Of The Word" by pipistrelle (8.4k)

Harrow, along with a good percentage of Canaan University's necromancy students, has the flu. Gideon has a lot of feelings that she is in no way equipped to handle. It's a tough week.

"(i shine only with the light you gave me)" by sashawire (1.7k) ♥︎

God prods, gently, “Even just starting with their physical description, and we can go from there.” “Imagine,” you say, from somewhere outside your body, “the worst shade of orange you’ve ever seen in your life.” * Harrowhark receives her saintly title.

"i will learn to love the shears" by corpsesoldier (4.7k)

The avulsion trial left Harrow's hair in a sorry state and Gideon offers up her expertise with a blade. Or, Gideon gives Harrow a haircut.

"The Titty Texts: A Work of a Stupendous Titty Nature" by EleniaTrexer (3k)

Gideon accidentally sends Harrow boobs. And then just keeps on sending them.

"can we start over?" by breeeliss (10k)

Gideon needs a tutor. Harrow needs someone to get her out of college gym class. All in all, a pretty straightforward arrangement to make with your ex.

"Dark Mode Enabled" by senseoftheday (12k)

Tech Company AU in which a certain Sales bro with no filter decides to ruin Harrow's life (and feature roadmap) by initiating the cross-functional project from hell. At least, Gideon has the decency to work remotely, and Harrow's new office crush makes some pretty great coffee.

"deconsecrated graves" by emotionsandphenomena (4k)

Gideon and Harrow got out of the cult they were raised in. Okay, what's next?

"settle up in heaven" by liesmyth (3k) ♥︎

“Isn’t this arrogance, Harrow?” Kiriona says. “Think you could fix what God couldn’t?”

"Quoth the Maiden" by Sarsaparilla (10.9k)

The bold outlaws Nova Hawk and Gideon meet for the first time on a narrow log-bridge. But is it really their first meeting? Or: what if Robin Hood and Little John were both lesbians?

"twice in a blue moon" by sinshine (8.7k) ♥︎

Gideon snapped out of her depressing reverie and blinked at her. "That's a really good idea." "Obviously," said Harrow, and it was only a little bit condescending. "Step one, sneak out of the party. Step two, acquire the necessary items at a store. Step three–" Harrow gestured vaguely at the deer in Gideon's hands– "And step four, profit." [G&H rush to fix a smashed snow globe that Dulcinea made so that Cam doesn't kill them before the clock strikes midnight at their NYE party. The fact that Gideon is back in her hometown after a long time away and she and Harrow have unresolved romantic tension is secondary and definitely won't be a problem.]

"It Came From Planet Slut" by LockedTombMemes (8k)

Well. Evidently going undercover to an Idan society fling in order to deliver a message to a high-profile BoE agent was a tits-out kind of look.

"Apostate's Yuletide" by sinshine (12.6k)♥︎

Gideon raised one eyebrow comically high. She smiled easily, erasing any hint of the anxiety that Harrow might have sensed. "What's with all the questions today?" Harrow huffed indignantly and fidgeted with the blanket draped across her lap, worrying the frayed hem with her fingers. "I thought your ego would appreciate the interest." "Yeah, but it's weird coming from you. I'm used to you monologuing, not playing twenty questions." "Perhaps it's a Christmas miracle," suggested Harrow, with an expression so absolutely devoid of joy that Gideon couldn't help but laugh. [Harrow and Gideon burn down a church on Xmas.]

"when it's over" by Adertily (2.5k)

Harrowhark had sworn to herself to live to see the girl in the locked tomb awaken. Alecto has risen. Now God is dead, along with everyone who had ever been dear to her - and Gideon has returned as a distorted creature. The war is over. Harrow wishes she could be too. Or: A character study based on Harrow's suicidal ideation and Gideon's determination to never run anywhere unless she absolutely has to.

"Supernova Bloom!" by sinshine (13k)

"It's just for a week, and then you never have to see me again," said Gideon. "I don't have time to find anyone else." And, "Please." Slowly, Harrow took her hand off the door and cautiously turned around. Gideon watched a dozen unspoken questions flicker across her face. She voiced none of them, but eventually settled on an expression of grim resignation. "I suppose I could suffer you for a week." [Gideon needs help getting her new flower shop ready for the grand opening. Harrow needs cash.]

"I still need your teeth around my organs" by sinshine (7.8k)

Although she was a beloved Daughter and a talented necromancer, Gideon's greatest vice was that she dearly loved to fuck around and find out. Knowing this, perhaps it shouldn't have been as shocking when she lifted one of Nova's hands, flipped it over, and kissed her palm. [4 times Gideon kisses Harrow, 1 time Harrow kisses Gideon]

"cuckoo, cuckoo" by sashawire (1.2k)

What Wake gives it is not a name. To do so would be a moronic, unnecessary cruelty. But she does deign to give it the microscopic dignity of a title, a goal, a purpose. Bomb. Eighteen years later, in the rubble of a once-sacred home, Harrowhark Nonagesimus reaches up and touches Gideon Nav’s grit-covered, blood-rimed face, splits a laugh like the world is ending, and calls her “flower.” * Six times God's unwanted daughter was nicknamed, and once she wasn't.

"my teeth will only cut your lips, my dear" by sashawire (<1k) ♥︎

Gideon chomps into her tongue as hard as she can convince herself, stifling a very dignified squawk. Her eyes water, Emperor’s left tit that fucking hurts, but—it works. Blood weeps from the bite marks, creeping down the back of her throat, up into her nasal cavity, staining her teeth. Okay. She has blood in her mouth. Blood that, somehow, needs to get into Harrow’s mouth. * Step #6: Consume the flesh.

"fifteen percent concentrated power of will" by surreptitiously (9k)

Teaching someone to do a push-up is a love language, when that person is very annoying.

"GHAZAL WHERE I'M BEGGING YOU TO TOUCH ME" by igneousbitch (12k)

You had your body and I had mine, and it was a miracle. Your hands against my face were a miracle. The rest of your meat attached to your hands was a prayer answered and a promise broken, but we were flush and gasping and alive, and Harrow—I really thought you might’ve kissed me then. But I felt it happen. The way your breath suddenly stilled, and your body locked up beneath mine, remembering. How with splintering gentleness, you pushed me away. “I’m so sorry,” was the second thing you said upon waking. The first thing had been my name. Stranded in a safehouse on an Edenite moon, Gideon and Harrow try to put themselves back together.

"catch you on the flip side, sugar lips" by corpsesoldier (4.9k)

Maybe if Harrow's brain runs enough scenarios, she'll find a way to keep what she's lost.

"hand to heart, I swear" by corpsesoldier (5k)

Gideon has a broken heart, and there's only one necromancer who can fix it.

Medium (15-30k)

"If you're doing it right you'll break their ribs" by almostnectarine (22.4k)

"How do you know Nonagesimus has gone somewhere dangerous?" asked Isaac. "Have you wired some kind of alert system?" "It's, uh. It's on the schedule," said Gideon. "I just... forgot. Because of the bread." Nobody was convinced by this, least of all Gideon. "It's a Ninth House thing," Gideon went on, backing away with increasing desperation. This was a slightly more plausible explanation, if only because nobody wanted to look too closely at what fell under the awful skeletal-ribbed and rotting umbrella of Ninth House things. "Gotta go—!" And she was out the door, gone. But it wasn't a Ninth House thing, except inasmuch as it was happening to the only two representatives of the noble and decrepit Ninth House on this quite literally godforsaken rock. Gideon knew Harrow had gone somewhere dangerous—knew that Harrow was back in the lab where they had only just completed a horrible trial—because she could see it, clear as day: an awful overlay on her vision of that terrible dangerous room and a pair of terrible dangerous hands drawing some kind of ward next to the plinth. The hands were definitely Harrow's. This was definitely a problem.

"If Home Is Where the Heart Is (Then We're All Just Fucked)" by JeanLuciferGohard (17k) ♥︎

When Gideon Nav gets a call that her ex-girlfriend, who never bothered to change her designated emergency contact, is in the hospital, she goes against her better judgement and responds. Everything after that just gets more complicated.

"blue gray green lavender" by smolranger (29k) ♥︎

Laser Radial sailor Gideon Nav just wants pass her classes, win a few regattas, and keep her head down. FJ sailor Harrowhark Nonagesimus has grand plans to qualify for the Olympics, preserve her parent's legacy, and save her home town. Despite the ties binding them together, the two have kept their college lives carefully separate for two years. But when Harrow's helm, Ortus, suffers a concussion mid-way through the fall season, their carefully separated lives collide. Harrow needs someone capable of taking Ortus' place for the remainder of the season or her Olympic dreams — and Canaan College's entire sail team — are in peril. And Gideon is her only option.

"Daughters of Hungry Ghosts" by zoicite (24k)

Harrow and Gideon and times they have (and also have not) shared a bed over the years.

"Disney World, Florida" by softieghost (24.6k) [Part 2 of "Holy Cross, Alaska"]

After the events of Alaska, Harrow thanks Gideon the only way she knows how: devotion. -- Chapter 3: The journey concludes. More confessions.

"we've got a good thing goin' " by sinshine (14.6k) ♥︎

“Not to sound ungrateful, but being here makes me wish that you had left me for dead,” said Harrow. Gideon had been staring hard at the face of the fountain’s statue. She was pretty sure that it was carved in the likeness of Naberius himself, but she didn’t want to say it out loud and make it true. She shook her head and turned to Harrow. “Leaving me to live out eternity in your bony sock puppet of a body? Hard pass.” Palamedes and Camilla shared a look. It was the mutual understanding of two people who had been trapped in close quarters with the bickering of Gideon Nav and Harrowhark Nonagesimus for far too long. [Team 69 hide out in Babs's vacation home. Because it's not like he's using it anyway.]

"Cake by the Ocean" by zoicite (15k)♥︎

Okay, so the thing was, Gideon had always been shit at plans. She knew that. Everyone knew that, but this--she really didn’t think it would be this hard! Gideon’s voice was like the least memorable thing about her. Bargaining her voice for a well-shaped set of human legs--that really should have worked in her favor.

"careful fear and (un)dead devotion" by sinshine (23k)

[Gideon and Harrow wake up back in their own bodies but both of them are missing large parts of their memory. Camilla tries not to kill everyone.]

"who ya gonna call?" by igneousbitch (24k)

“Fret not, honeybun.” Gideon shook her red hair out of her eyes, belligerent. “I’m not totally sold on your whole skepticism thing.” “Well,” Harrow said, ignoring the nickname. She turned to the rest of the room, clearing her throat politely before addressing the empty air. “Ghosts, if you’re real, give us a sign. Make a noise. Move something. Send a shiver down our backs. Whisper softly into Nav’s left ear—” “I seriously fucking hate you.” - (Casual sex and paranormal investigation. Not necessarily in that order.) (or: the Buzzfeed Unsolved AU in which Gideon is ready to fight a ghost, and Harrow just wants to be haunted.)

Long(>30k):

"Beneath a Blue and Foreign Sky" by zoicite (35k)

Harrow has a decision to make.

"A Heart Full Of Sutures" by Rohad (40k)

All Gideon wanted was to get outside and ride her motorcycle. No part of that plan had included eight weeks in Canaan Medical Center with a broken Pelvis and the meanest little doctor this side of the eastern seabord.

"Midnight at the Mithraeum" by zoicite (66k) ♥︎

It'd been two years since Gideon Nav gathered her wine key and her gaming license and escaped The Locked Tomb, a speakeasy-style cocktail bar managed by the hateful Harrowhark Nonagesimus. Now, dealing tables at The Mithraeum Hotel & Casino, things were really looking up. So when Gideon scored a date with the most beautiful showgirl in the Gilded Halls of Ida, the last thing she expected was to wake up married to her old nemesis and former coworker. The story starts the night of Gideon's date and alternates between the events leading up to the wedding and the weeks that follow as Gideon tries to navigate life married to someone who claims to want nothing more than to forget she exists.

"Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" by pipistrelle (90k)

Being the journal of Reverend Daughter Harrowhark Nonagesimus, chronicling the journey of the Emperor's warship Cenotaph on its hunt to slay an immortal Resurrection Beast. Or: the Moby Dick crossover AU that nobody asked for.

"The Darkest Night, The Brightest Light" by eternaleponine (50k)

Harrowhark has known for a long time that her home's financial situation is dire, and not getting better. She has plans to fix it all, but can't implement them until she turns eighteen in a few months. When her parents announce that the best (perhaps only) way to save Drearburh is to marry off its heir, Harrow realizes the timeline has changed and she needs to take action now to save her home... and herself. Desperate times call for desperate measures, after all. Enter Gideon Nav. Detested foe, and Harrow's only hope.

"putting your fist through a thick sheet of glass (i know you don't want to)" by oretsev (46k)

Harrowhark Nonagesimus and Gideon Nav have always been at each other’s throats, and the animosity has only intensified since the death of Harrow’s parents. But when a car accident leaves Gideon without any memories of her past, Harrow sees a chance at the clean slate she’s wanted for years. Becoming involved in Gideon’s recovery assuages some of the guilt, but as she and Gideon become closer and increasingly involved in each other's lives, Harrow worries that some of her secrets may be more than she can atone for.

Ongoing:

"semi-charmed kinda life" by strangedelight (182k+) ♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎

Gideon asked questions. Harrow surprised her with answers. They reached an agreement; they decided to be smart, to be patient. Gideon made a promise, Harrow gave her one in return. Wait and see. OR the year is 1994, and Gideon and Harrow leave their small town for life in the city. OR team 69 roommates au only this time it's the 90s

"Intern the Sixth" by apocalypticTaco (33k+)

ADDRESSING THE HEIR TO THE NINTH HOUSE, OR PRESUMED EQUIVALENT: PALAMEDES SEXTUS, HEIR TO THE SIXTH HOUSE, PRESENTS HIS COMPLIMENTS TO THE NINTH AND REQUESTS A FORMAL ARRANGEMENT WHEREIN HIS MASTER WARDEN AND CAVALIER APPRENTICESHIP UNDER THE NINTH FOR FOUR YEARS IN EXCHANGE FOR THE SIXTH’S SERVICES. *Details to be discussed. Please turn to back page. Timeframe variable. Services and agreements variable upon the Ninth's request. An internship of this caliber is highly unprecedented and likely unheard of, but any information valuable to the Ninth and into the Tomb will remain undisclosed upon request; Primary experience and study is required as the Master Warden has already decided upon such being his final thesis prior to his end studies. No takebacks, no denials. Pleased to meet you. Palamedes Sextus, Heir to the Sixth and Master Warden and Camilla the Sixth, Cavalier Primary and Warden's Hand of the Library

TO THE MASTER WARDEN: FORMALLY REJECTED.

"What's Eating Gideon Nav?" by labyrinthineRetribution (40k+)

After a miserable fifteen years at Blessed Saint Anastasia's School for Girls, Gideon's luck finally changes.

"We Have Always Lived in the Apartment" by labyrinthineRetribution (171k+)

John looks up from his Jack and Coke in drunken curiosity. "What's with the face, Harrowhark?" he asks, genuinely concerned. "Contrary to popular belief," Gideon butts in, "her face just fuckin' looks like that, bitch." She tends to use "bitch" as liberally as commas when off her ass. "You're piss drunk," you shoot back. "And you, my good bitch, are just as contemptible as the day you clawed your way up from Hell." - It is Harrowhark Nonagesimus' birthday, and it only gets worse from there.

PWP (basically):

"I'll hold in these hands all that remains" by corvidlesbian (6.5k) ♥︎

“Do you want me to try?” Gideon said. “What?” “You got all hot and bothered without me trying. Do you want me to try?” Their newfound habit of cuddling gets interesting.

"sting of a wasp" by brightbolt, imperfectlyctor (42k) ♥︎

"You’re a virgin,” Gideon said, testing it out. "Huh." Harrow didn’t like the sound of that huh. She knew Gideon’s noises, and that was a thoughtful, sinister huh. That was the same huh she’d made before putting canned tuna in Crux’s work boots. Her eyes narrowed. “What.” Gideon cocked her head to the side. “Is there a reason you’re waiting?” There was no judgement in the question— only genuine curiosity. Perhaps it was this that made Harrow more inclined to answer. “I don’t have the time to look for someone new,” She shrugged. “And my available pool is… somewhat limited.” “Well,” Gideon said, with just a hint of conspiracy in those glittering golden eyes. “If you ever want to change that, you have my number.” What? What? Harrow blinked. “What?” Or: the five times Gideon and Harrow successfully bone, and the one time they don't.

"Suckle, Honey" by zoicite (7.9k)

“You crave my juice,” Gideon accused. “I do not crave your juice.” “Fuck, you do though. You went off to explore that study alone, without your cavalier, using a key that I nearly gave my life for, and then you snorted some powder that made you crave my juice! Harrow. I never would have let you sniff powder from a ten thousand year old jar.” This was untrue--Gideon probably wouldn’t have noticed Harrow breathing in a puff of jar powder until it was too late--but it sounded like something Camilla Hect might say, so Gideon went with it anyway. Camilla definitely would have stopped Palamedes from accidentally sniffing old as fuck Eighth House jarred juice addiction powder.

"Five Times We Hatefucked and One Time We Didn't" by rnanqo (8k)

“Fuck you,” you said. “Fuck me yourself, you coward.” You ran a hand through my hair, fisted it, and pulled my head up. From here I had a spectacular view of your weird blown-out seething expression, like I was the worst thing you’d ever seen. Also a view up your blood-crusted nostrils. Choice. “Maybe I will, Griddle,” you said. “Maybe I will stop fucking you over and start fucking you." Gideon and Harrow realize, abruptly, that their hatefucking is no longer hatefucking.

"a call to motion" by groundedsaucer (coasterchild) (10k) ♥︎

Harrow and Gideon watch a porno.

"put her canine teeth in the side of my neck" by stranded_star (8.8k)

Harrowhark Nonagesimus is getting a PhD and a divorce. Against her better judgment, she goes out to the bar to celebrate and meets an incorrigible, absolutely ripped salt-and-paprika butch who takes her home and gives it to her good. To her horror, it's the best night of her life, and she sneaks home with her tail between her legs. Harrow has more important things to worry about - like raising her daughter and building the next stages of her career. But when her daughter's favorite teacher, someone named Griddle, turns about to be the Gideon she met at the bar, she's forced to contend with allowing herself (and her daughter) to find the happy ending she never thought they'd have. Featuring MILF!Harrow, Teacher!Gideon, and a very amused Camilla Hect.

"The Wound That Swallows" by seelieunseelie (7.8k)

Harrow can make out an uncomfortable amount of detail about Gideon’s body beneath. Powerful, strong as ever, yet somehow vulnerable for its supplication below Harrow’s. “Are we gonna get this over with?” Gideon says in a voice softly scratchy. She blushes then when Harrow sits on the edge of the bed. “It will hurt,” Harrow says. “Yeah,” Gideon says. “I think I can handle it.”

#holy shit this is way longer than i thought it would be #uhm i literally gave myself a headache i sat here for like 3 hours doing this #that being said if you have any fic recs lmk LOL #griddlehark #gideon the ninth #harrow the ninth #nona the ninth #the locked tomb #tlt #tlt fic #tlt fanfiction #griddlehark fanfic #rec #long post

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azathot69 · 5 months ago

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Limbus Company Cooking Tier List

Yi Sang - He was just admiring a potato. he spent most of his time in a lab, so I'd say that he does not know hoe to cook, he'd probably focus on the sensations of eating rather than the flavor. He'd make an omelette with the egg shells inside it and ruminate the state of one's consumed being or something idk im not a phil osofer :p

Faust - Gesellschaft lends Faust a Faust with knowledge on how to cook. However, our Faust would probably only eat food in a way that allows her to efficiently get nutrients into her body. Her food would be quick, nutritious, but ultimately flavorless. The type who would eat cup noodles with eggs and peanut butter. She's just too busy to enjoy a nice meal. She does only get 3 hours of sleep, after all.

Don Quixote - This girl has the appetite to eat practically anything, but lacks the skill to sustain herself. She'd has a preference of aesthetics over actual flavor, as seen in Hell's Chicken. for the love of god Don't let her cook.

Ryoshu - Can she cook? yeah. Can she cook something edible? Not willingly.

Meursault - The man likes to be told what to do. Give him a cookbook and he'll be able to make anything as instructed. Unfortunately lacks any depth, and will always fall behind in that regard.

Hong Lu - He knows what a kitchen is. Probably never stepped foot into it. uwah~

Heathcliff - Knows what a kitchen is. Probably tried to sneak a few treats from the kitchen during his times in Wuthering Heights. During his syndicate days, he'd probably helped in making meals. I would trust him with my food. *mwah*

Ishmael - Prior to joining Ahab, she'd probably knew her way around the kitchen. Post-Pequod, she'd probably lost all taste after being out in the great lake. I don't think she would've cared at the time.

Rodion - Like DonQui, she likes to eat. Purely headcannon, but i like to think that while she never learned how to cook, she is quite decent at it. Unfortunately for her, she doesn't like the taste of her own cooking. Would rather eat other people's cooking.

Dante - no mouth, no memory, no problem. I like to think that their cooking would be acceptable, but bland. They'd probably worry about either burning or undercooking their food to be considered bad.

Sinclair - His school probably had a home economics class. He can make decently good meals, but has to practice when making a newer meal.

Outis - Probably the best cook in the company. Takes nutrition into consideration. Would definitely made sure her compatriots are well fed before an expedition.

Gregor - Canonically Can not cook. He spent his time in G Corp. and most likely had to eat shitty cafeteria food and MRIs. He'd probably owned "A Man, A Can, a Plan" before Limbus got to him.

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lisired · 1 year ago

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yani, 23, she/they

⤷ 18+ blog primarily for long nct fics. masterlist below. no requests.

⤷ revehae is my side blog where i write evil little stories that normal people will find off-putting. ireverie is the enhypen equivalent.

⤷ DM for commissions

DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES

⤷ JOHNNY SUH, 23k, 1/3 of the wanted: dead or alive series.

five years ago, you were part of a unit assigned to eliminate the head rival of a crime syndicate. the plan backfired miserably. ever since you have been laying low, but then your former boss calls you with alarming news.

KEEP ON

⤷ JOHNNY SUH, 13.6k

All things love and commitment are feared upon by you. You keep a tight crew and let few people in, cynical of other’s intentions and leaving a trail of broken hearts in your wake. If you break other people’s hearts first, they can’t break yours. And yet, it was all too easy falling for Johnny, digging yourself into a depthless hole of love. But he is no exception to your heartache games.

WAITING GAME

⤷ JOHNNY SUH, 9.1k, 1/4 of the Temptation series.

Your best friend’s dad is a smoking hot dilf seeking vengeance after you’ve spent the past couple of years teasing him, but it seems that you can’t handle a taste of your own medicine.

LITTLE DO YOU KNOW

⤷ LEE TAEYONG, 14.9k

After three years away from Miami, Taeyong is finally ready to return to the city. He left a world behind here, but most importantly, he left you. And being invited on a friendly get-together trip to a beach resort gives him a little too much time to resume unfinished business between you both.

DRESS CODE

⤷ NAKAMOTO YUTA, 7.4k, 3/4 of the Temptation series.

Nakamoto Yuta and his rings have caught your eye. In an effort to seduce your professor, you decide to take your best friend’s advice and change your wardrobe. You’re given an advantage when Yuta’s son asks you to tutor him, and it’s like Satan is handing you opportunities on a silver platter - but at what cost?

I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD

⤷ NAKAMOTO YUTA, 20k, 2/3 of the wanted: dead or alive series.

after investigating the activity of a local gang, your boss abruptly disappears, and it's up to you to find out what happened to him. you almost immediately suspect the reapers, one of the most infamous gangs in seoul. and yuta is willing to lend a hand in your operation, but only at a cost; forget him in the end.

VENOMOUS

⤷ NAKAMOTO YUTA, 18.8k

Born into the underworld, crime was all you’d known your entire life and was practically in your blood - murder, drugs, money, power, and everything in between. In spite of your father leading one of the two major gangs that dominated Asia, you managed to keep safe. But all that changes once the rival gang has bad blood to settle with your father, and suddenly a vendetta’s being pursued against you.

WHISPER

⤷ KIM DOYOUNG, 8.9k, 2/4 of the Temptation series.

When you were nineteen, you could only dream of meeting Kim Doyoung in his sheets. Behind his back you watched all the movies he starred in, wanting nothing more than to be the one he touched whenever a sex scene came on. So when the opportunity surfaced four years later after you’re casted together in the same movie, you didn’t hesitate to snag it - even if it meant hiding from his wife, your father, and the public. And even if feelings developed.

DIE IN YOUR ARMS

⤷ JEONG JAEHYUN, 22.4k

Every single night before bed, you play your royal husband, Jaehyun, a song on his grandfather's piano as a distraction from the ominous sounds you hear. To the public, you're all smiles, but discreetly, you're a slave to your suspicions. Though it seems the more you pry, the more secrets you start to unravel.

HONEYMOON AVENUE

⤷ JEONG JAEHYUN, 12.3k

A year ago, wedding bells were ringing and you were screaming, “Yes!” at the top of your lungs. Last Christmas, you were supposed to be wed under a mistletoe. This Christmas, company finds you in the form of your ex-fiancé that broke off your engagement after you’re both inconveniently trapped in an elevator.

WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD

⤷ JEONG JAEHYUN, 14.5k

Three years ago, you had a summer fling with Jung Jaehyun, and what was simply sex turned into more after you caught feelings for him. Then, you find out he has a girlfriend, and decide to call it quits. Three years later, he's back in town, trying to come back in your life, and most importantly trying to come back into your heart, but you're a little hesitant to let him.

WISH I NEVER

⤷ JEONG JAEHYUN, 27.2k

Your brother, Johnny, hates Jaehyun and has never told you why. Although you intend on leaving it alone, unforeseen events thrust you into a forbidden love affair with Jaehyun. In between hookups and stolen kisses, you have to bury your feelings for Jaehyun around your overprotective older brother.

CAN YOU KEEP IT DOWN?

⤷ MARK LEE, 10.4k, 4/4 of the Temptation series

The apartment next door to yours has been vacant for months. No one had gone in or out, not until your new next door neighbor moved in two weeks ago. Mark, a slightly older guy who prides himself on his patience and willpower with a penchant for control. But when you make it clear you’re resolved to wither away the things he values most, Mark decides he’s down for the challenge, determined to put a leash on your unrestrained behavior - and most importantly, finally shut you the hell up.

EX MARKS THE SPOT

⤷ MARK LEE, 19.9k

Two months ago, you and Mark called it quits and haven’t spoken to each other since. As per tradition, your respective friend groups gather each Christmas eve to keep the peace, but this year somebody has a different plan. And the new chick on Mark’s arm isn’t the worst thing to happen.

PRETTY LITTLE WEAPON

⤷ MARK LEE, 25.7k

A lifetime worth of adversity had brought you to Bloodlust. You joined them to escape your history, but with Mark Lee - an undercover narcotics agent with a secret to keep - comes the threat of being forced to confront your past. Old wounds are opened, but scars heal.

(AT THE END OF THE DAY) EVERYBODY DIES

⤷ LEE HAECHAN, 20k, 3/3 of the wanted: dead or alive series.

denial after denial, your step-brother continues to nag you about an upcoming high school reunion, until you finally agree to tag along. it’s awkward seeing your ex-boyfriend, haechan, again for the first time in years, but you have no time to dwell on the past with the threat of undead students banging on the school gates.

CHANGE YOUR MIND YET?

⤷ LEE HAECHAN, 4.6k

You’re going to kill him. You swear, You’re going to kill him. how did Liu Yangyang accidentally tell Lee Donghyuck—your greatest enemy—that you think he’s hot and that you’ve been in a dry spell recently? Now you have to avoid the inevitable confrontation, and worst of all, deal with the most stubborn person alive (who ironically thinks that you’re the most stubborn person alive).

FOREVER YOURS

⤷ LEE HAECHAN, 23k

Thirst for exhilaration and a stupid dare brings you, your boyfriend Haechan, and your friends to the eerie camping grounds of Chimera - the name of a town rumored to be occupied by a number of vengeful, lurking spirits. But nothing is as it seems in this ghost town.

LOVE JONES

⤷ LEE HAECHAN, 25.5k, part one, part two

After breaking off your engagement to your fiance, you move to Los Angeles to pursue a modeling career. There in the fairytale land where stars go to shine you meet Haechan, an aspiring photographer with a penchant for mischief and flirtation.

SMILE FOR THE CAMERA

⤷ LEE HAECHAN, PARK JISUNG, 19.8k

upon accidentally finding a video of you and your boyfriend haechan doing some very sexual things, jisung knows that he shouldn’t watch it. he knows that it would be an extreme invasion of privacy, but he’s unable to control himself when he sees the thumbnail. so he settles for only watching 30 seconds. except, 30 seconds turns into 30 minutes, and by then he’s buried himself too deep into a life-changing situation—or in which jisung’s terrible at keeping secrets.

SUPERMODEL

⤷ LEE HAECHAN, 23k

Five years ago, you left your hometown and ex to recreate your identity in California. Now, you're a staple of the fashion industry and on the front cover of magazines everywhere. Your hard work has paid off, but when you realize that you might be pregnant, you have to decide whether you want to be a full-time model or a full-time mother.

THE DEVIL’S CUP

⤷ LEE HAECHAN, 6.8k

In a world where humans and demons are separated by earth and the unknown, you’re curious about the creatures that most mortal beings are too frightened to investigate. More specifically if they can please you sexually. As they say, curiosity killed the cat.

WHO NEEDS CUPID’S BOW?

⤷ LEE HAECHAN, 11.1k

Cupid is not on your side, it seems. He’s made you fall in love with the worst possible person ever, AKA your best friend, AKA the man who still eats tootsie-pops—willingly. And frankly, it feels like the damn candy has a better chance of dating him than you ever will.

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mostlysignssomeportents · 4 hours ago

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Bill Griffith's 'Three Rocks'

I'm in the home stretch of my 24-city book tour for my new novel PICKS AND SHOVELS. Catch me in LONDON NEXT TUESDAY (July 1) with TRASHFUTURE'S RILEY QUINN and then a big finish in MANCHESTER on July 2.

What better format for a biography of Ernie Bushmiller, creator of the daily Nancy strip, than a graphic novel? And who better to write and draw it than Bill Griffith, creator of Zippy the Pinhead, a long-running and famously surreal daily strip?

https://store.abramsbooks.com/products/three-rocks

Three Rocks: The Story of Ernie Bushmiller, the Man Who Created Nancy is more than a biography, though. Griffith is carrying on the work of Scott McCloud, whose definitive Understanding Comics used the graphic novel form to explain the significance and method of sequential art, singling out Nancy for special praise:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Understanding_Comics

For Griffith – and a legion of comics legends who worship Bushmiller – the story of Bushmiller's life and the story of Nancy and its groundbreaking methodology are inseparable. We watch as Bushmiller starts out as a teenaged dropout copy-boy in the bullpen at a giant news syndicate, running errands for the paper's publisher and, eventually, its cartoonists. Bushmiller burns to get into the funnies, and he's got a good head for gags, but his draftsmanship needs work. He secretly enrolls in a life-drawing class, which does him little good, but he applies himself and applies himself, and eventually is given his big break: taking over Fritzi Ritz, a daily cartoon serial about a sexy flapper.

Bushmiller's run on Fritzi Ritz outlasts flappers, and, as he struggles to keep the character relevant amidst changing times, he eventually hits on a "Cousin Oliver" gambit: adding in a sassy niece named Nancy:

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CousinOliver

Cousin Oliverae are rarely successful, but Nancy turned out to be the exception that proved the rule. Nancy took over the strip, and "Aunt Fritzi" receded in importance, taking a backstage to Nancy and her pal Sluggo.

As Nancy came into her own, so did Bushmiller. Bushmiller combined an impeccable sense of the gag (he started with his punchline panel – "the snapper" – and worked backwards) with a visual style that he refined to something so pure and refined that it inspired generations of comics creators.

Bushmiller was the master of simplifying, and then simplifying more, and then simplifying even more. Visually, his characters and his furniture (especially the iconic "three rocks" of the title) are refined to something so iconic they're practically ideograms. While some accused Bushmiller of re-using a small set of drawings, Griffith makes the convincing case that Bushmiller perfected a small number of icons, and repeated them as motifs. Indeed, these characters are so perfect and finely tuned that when Griffith inserts Nancy, Sluggo and other characters from Bushmillerville into his graphic novel, he doesn't re-draw them – rather, Griffith carefully crops these characters out and collages them into his own panels. Every image of Nancy in this book was drawn by Ernie Bushmiller.

This pared-down, severely restricted graphic style provides the perfect toolkit for the Bushmiller gag, which, at its best, is profoundly surrealistic, often playing on the form of the comic itself (for example, when Nancy asks Sluggo to give her a push on a bicycle, Sluggo obliges by stepping out of the comic and tipping the final panel at 45 degrees, sending Nancy rolling "downhill"). These meta-humorous gags give rise to Griffith's key insight: that Nancy isn't a comic about what it's like to be a kid – it's a comic about what it's like to be a cartoon character.

This is such a good organizing principle for understanding Nancy's staying power and influence. Other cartoons like Peanuts are nominally about being a kid, but are actually about being a small adult. Nancy, meanwhile, shares a lineage with, say, Animaniacs and Bugs Bunny and Groucho Marx (who, we learn, wore out his welcome with Bushmiller and his wife by relentlessly hitting on the latter at celebrity dinners at the Brown Derby). It's no wonder that Scott McCloud, the prophet-explainer of sequential art, loves Nancy: she practically invented stepping outside the frame and making us think about how these pictures and words worked, and why, and she made us laugh the whole time.

Bushmiller had a unique mind. He was a workaholic, turning out a 7-day/week strip for decades, even as he shouldered a variety of side-projects and other strips. Once he started making money, he moved to the Connecticut suburbs where he could have a work-room big enough to accommodate four drafting boards, so he could work on four strips at once. He would sometimes get a year ahead of schedule with his publishers. It was only very late in his life that Bushmiller took on any kind of assistants, and even then, he obsessively supervised them, counting the spikes in every depiction of Nancy's hair to ensure that they fell within the regulation 69-107 spikes.

Despite his massive following among artists, hipsters and intellectuals, Bushmiller insisted that the secret to his success was in his devotion to simplicity and the universality it brought. Bushmiller's editorial process seems to have consisted almost entirely of his removing words, images and lines from his panels, paring them down further and further until they became, essentially, narrated pictograms – almost funny Ikea assembly instructions.

Griffith – a daily cartoonist workaholic who has been turning out Zippy strips since 1971 – bursts with admiration for Bushmiller, and this biography saves a lot of space for Bushmiller himself, with long sections given over to reproductions of some of Nancy's best outings. Griffith has had more than half a century to think about what makes surreal comic-strips tick, and, like McCloud, he pours these out on the page, but largely confines himself to illustrating his insights with Bushmiller strips and panels. The result is a heady volume: a great biography and a great book of literary criticism and comic arts theory.

Nancy is still around, written and drawn by the amazing Olivia Jaimes, whose first collection of new Nancy comics I called "incredibly, fantastically, impossibly great":

https://memex.craphound.com/2019/10/17/the-first-book-collecting-the-new-nancy-comic-is-incredibly-fantastically-impossibly-great/

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2025/06/27/the-snapper#69-to-107-spikes

#pluralistic #comics #nancy #nancy and sluggo #ernie bushmiller #bushmiller #bill griffith #newspapers #the funnies #the snapper #books #reviews #gift guide #graphic novels #surrealism

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ofstarsandvibranium · 10 months ago

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The Get Back

Fandom: Star Wars - The Acolyte (Mob Boss AU)

Pairing: Qimir x F!Reader

Summary: Your husband is the leader of one of the biggest crime syndicates in the city. A smaller organization has the audacity to try to hurt you. Well, they come to learn very quickly that no one messes with you or your husband.

Qimir Masterlist

You’re wandering the night market, appearing to be blissfully aware of the two men that have been following you for the past few hours.

You’re accompanied by your friend, Mae, who is secretly your protector during this little mission.

You hook your arm around hers, pulling her in to give the idea of two friends giggling and gossiping, “I’m surprised they haven’t tried anything yet.”

Mae gives her best laugh, subtly looking around. When her “laughter” fades, she pretends to giggle and whisper something amusing, but she replies, “They’re closing in. We should head to the rendezvous point.”

You nod and you both walk arm and arm towards the more secluded and empty area of the night market. While the general public crowd near the food stalls, you and Mae head towards the darker area of the night market.

As soon as people are out of sight, several men appear, surrounding you and Mae.

A significantly large, hairy man steps forward, gun in hand, “Now ladies, I don’t want to hurt anyone, but I will if you make things difficult.”

You look to Mae and nod, both of you hold your hands up and you say, “Fine. Take us. Just don’t hurt anyone.”

You two are immediately grabbed, wrists zip tied together and blindfolds going over your eyes.

You and Mae don’t fight as you’re practically thrown into the back of a car. Once the car starts moving, you press the tracking button on the bracelet your husband had given you as a wedding gift.

_____________________

“It’s activated,” Osha says, watching the little dot appear on the laptop. She looks over her shoulder to her leader sitting in the back seat. He gives her a nod and Osha immediately demands the driver to follow the dot on the screen.

She then looks back to her boss, “They’ll be okay.”

The corner of her boss’ mouth twitches and he says, “Are you telling me or yourself that?”

“Both? They know what to do if things go south.”

He sighs and runs a hand through his black hair, “I shouldn’t have let her do this.”

“She knew the risks and knows what she’s doing. Have more trust in her.”

His jaw clenches, “I do trust her. It’s them I don’t trust.”

___________________

You didn’t appreciate being manhandled. They grabbed and held you with bruising grips. You bit your tongue to not lash out insults. You had to follow the plan.

You and Mae are lead to some warehouse near the docks. You know from the sound of the water nearby. How original.

You’re forced into a chair, hands still zip tied behind your back. Your blindfold gets pulled and it takes you a few blinks for your vision to correct.

You see an older man, ginger beard and a scar going across his eye. You immediately recognize him and scoff, “Torbin? You’re the mole? Color me surprised.”

The man clenches his jaw, “Didn’t think I’d be able to pull this off, huh? Proved you wrong, didn’t I?”

You roll your eyes, “Please. Kidnapping me to get to my husband? Work of an amateur. And picking a warehouse on the docks? So unoriginal!”

The large man from before slapped you across the face. The sound echoing throughout the warehouse. You do your best to ignore the stinging and glare up at him, “You’re going to regret that.” He scoffs at you, raising his hand to strike you again.

“Don’t, Kelnacca. What did I tell you about damaged goods?”

The man, Kelnacca, lowers his hand and steps away from you.

Mae takes the opportunity to speak up, “So what’s this about? You’re upset that the boss wouldn’t give you more power?”

“I deserved to be his right hand. Not your or your sister! I’ve been in this job much longer and he gives the position to you two!”

You roll your eyes and groan, “So what’s the point you’re trying to make here, Torbin? Kidnap me and demand the position of right hand?”

The man snorts, “No, fuck that. I have bigger plans. You don’t know how many people were ready to betray your husband. Everyone is tired of his control and they wanted a new person, someone that won’t rule for their own selfish reasons.”

Mae rolls her eyes, “And this isn’t selfish?”

“I’ll make sure my people are well equipped and provided. Not the scraps that He’s given us.”

“He provides for those who deserves it. You’ve never deserved, Torbin.”

Torbin immediately pulls out a gun and points it at you. You narrow your eyes at him, “You won’t do it. You need me for negotiations.”

“True, but I don’t need her,” he points the gun at Mae. You look at her and she has no ounce of fear on her face.

“Do it. I dare you, but just know, my sister won’t have mercy on you if you do.” Mae says with confidence. You know she’s right and as does Torbin.

He grits his teeth and lowers his gun. He grips his hair and yells, “FUUUUCK!” The cries echoing throughout the building.

Then a man comes running in, yelling, “They’re here!”

“Finally. Let the show begin,” Torbin rushes to you, pulling you to your feet. He stands behind you, gun pointed to your head.

Your husband’s familiar SUV rolls up and it’s barely parked when he steps out, Osha following behind him.

His presence oozes confidence and intimidation, something that Torbin lacks.

“Evening, Torbin,” he says calmly as one of Torbin’s men pats him down and then to Osha.

“They’re clear.”

Torbin can’t help but laugh, “Got ya now, didn’t I? After all those years, didn’t expect I’d turn on you like this, eh?”

Your husband sighs and shakes his head, “I must say that I’m extremely disappointed in you, Torbin.”

“Disappointed that an old friend got the better of you?”

Your husband shakes his head and then smirks, “Disappointed that you didn’t catch on sooner.”

Torbin looks at your husband confused and you take the opportunity to stomp on his foot and throw your head back with as much force as you can.

The action disorients him and then all hell breaks loose. Mae breaks free and starts throwing around her hidden daggers that she kept in her boots. She takes down the men surrounding her and then rushes to you, cutting the zip ties from your wrists.

Knives and bullets fly as you rush to your husband, “Qi-“

“You’re hurt,” he lightly grazes your swollen cheek. His eyes darken in anger, “I’ll-“

“Don’t,” you look over your shoulder to see Osha, Mae, and several of your husband’s men that posed as double agents, fighting and killing Torbin’s men, “They’ve got it handled.”

“NO!” You hear a yell and both of you look back to see Torbin limping towards you two, nose bloody and gun in hand.

“You can’t have it all!” He yells. He slowly raises the gun and a shot rings out.

Qimir looks at you, his gun in your hand. The barrel smoking from the shot you took.

Torbin collapses onto the ground, a clean shot to the head.

You scowl, “Always thought he was annoying.”

Qimir smirks, kissing your temple and taking the gun from his hand, “Well done, Trouble.” He tucks the gun back in his pants and slips his hand into yours, “Let’s get you cleaned up. The twins can take it from here.”

You follow him back into his SUV, curling into his side after he tells his driver to head back home.

He wraps a protective arm around you, kissing your head again. Against your temple, he murmurs, “Don’t get involved again. I can’t take the anxiety it gives me.”

You give him a playful pout, “Where’s the fun in that?”

He smirks and leaning in, pecking your lips, “Troublemaker.” He then pulls you closer and you two sit in silence for the remainder of the ride.

All in a night’s work.

#qimir x reader #qimir imagine #the acolyte #the acolyte imagine #mob boss au #Star Wars imagine #Star Wars au

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ventesb2b · 2 years ago

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Content Syndication Dos and Don'ts: Expert-Backed Best Practices

Introduction

In the world of content marketing, simply creating high-quality content is no longer enough to cut through the noise. To truly maximize your efforts and ensure your content reaches its intended audience, mastering content syndication best practices is crucial. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the essential strategies and techniques that can take your content syndication efforts to the next level. Content syndication has emerged as a powerful strategy in the realm of content marketing. By distributing your existing content to third-party platforms, you can amplify your reach, engage new audiences, and achieve your marketing goals more effectively. To make the most of content syndication, it's crucial to follow a set of best practices. This guide offers a comprehensive overview of these practices, including choosing the right partners, optimizing content for different platforms, monitoring performance, and more. By implementing these strategies, you can harness the potential of content syndication and enhance the impact of your content marketing efforts.

Understanding Content Syndication

Content syndication involves distributing your existing content, such as blog posts, articles, videos, and infographics, to third-party platforms and websites. The goal is to expose your content to a wider audience, leveraging the reach and authority of these external platforms to increase engagement, drive traffic, and ultimately achieve your marketing goals.

Content Syndication Best Practices

1. Identify Your Goals: Before diving into content syndication, clearly define your objectives. Are you striving for thought leadership, lead generation, or brand awareness? Setting specific goals will help tailor your approach and measure success.

2. Choose the Right Partners: Select reputable and relevant platforms for syndication. Partner with sources that align with your target audience and industry, ensuring your content resonates with their readers.

3. Repurpose, Don't Duplicate: While syndicating content, avoid duplicate content issues that can harm your SEO. Instead, repurpose your content to suit the platform's audience and guidelines while maintaining originality on your own website.

4. Craft Engaging Headlines: A captivating headline is your first chance to grab readers' attention. Craft compelling, informative, and curiosity-driven headlines that encourage users to click and explore.

5. Optimize Content for Each Platform: Adapt your content to fit the style and tone of the platform you're syndicating to. Customize your content to match the preferences of the platform's audience while maintaining consistency with your brand's voice.

lets connect for more insight: https://ventesb2b.com/contact-2/

6. Provide Value: Focus on delivering value to the platform's audience. Share insights, solve problems, and offer actionable advice. The more valuable your content, the more likely it is to be shared and engaged with.

7. Include Author Information: When syndicating content, include a brief author bio with a link back to your website or social media profiles. This helps establish your authority and encourages readers to explore more of your work.

8. Monitor Performance: Regularly track the performance of your syndicated content. Analyze metrics such as website traffic, engagement rates, click-through rates, and conversion data to assess the effectiveness of your efforts.

9. Engage with the Audience: Be prepared to engage with readers who interact with your syndicated content. Respond to comments, answer questions, and foster discussions to build relationships and trust.

10. Build Relationships: Nurture relationships with the platforms you're syndicating to. Establishing strong connections can lead to more opportunities for collaboration and broader exposure.

11. Focus on Quality over Quantity: While syndicating your content on multiple platforms can be beneficial, prioritize quality over quantity. One well-received piece of syndicated content can yield better results than many hastily distributed ones.

12. Stay Updated on Guidelines: Different platforms have varying guidelines for content syndication. Stay informed about their requirements and adhere to their terms to ensure a seamless partnership.

Conclusion

Content syndication is a potent strategy for expanding your reach, enhancing brand visibility, and achieving your marketing objectives. By following these best practices, you can navigate the world of syndication with confidence, effectively leveraging third-party platforms to amplify your content's impact. Remember, the key to successful content syndication is a strategic approach, consistent monitoring, and a commitment to delivering valuable content to new audiences. As you incorporate these best practices into your content marketing strategy, you'll unlock the true potential of content syndication and drive impressive results for your brand.

Aniket Deshpanade

Sr.Digital Marketink Associate

[email protected]

www.ventesb2b.com/ New York, USA

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hhanxue · 4 months ago

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"If you only knew what I have seen! Alas, what gloom is there beneath!"

Gwynplaine, sinner number 3. The source of inspiration is the "The Man Who Laughs" novel by Victor Hugo. *** "Transcending flesh, creating the abnormal." The first thing Gwynplaine remembered was pain. The second was the acrid smell of antiseptic.

He didn’t remember his real name. Didn’t remember the family that once clothed him in silk and called him son. All he knew was the blank room, the other children (some whimpering, some silent, some unnaturally bent), and Dea—the girl with bandaged eyes who still smiled when he held her hand.

The "medical check-ups" were worse. Hands pried at his splintered joints, measured the gaping ruin of his mouth. The Morphos Syndicate didn’t call him human. They called him "chrysalis"—a canvas to be remade.

(He wondered if butterflies felt this much pain.)

But then—chaos. Alarms. A chance. The reasons didn't matter.

He grabbed Dea’s hand. They ran. And ran. And ran.

The dark street was devoid of any color. Gwynplaine collapsed against a wall, his breath ragged, Dea’s fingers trembling in his—

"O, what disgrace! A pair of wretched Bloodbags dare plague the threshold of mine humble abode," an exhausted voice behind the door said. "Art thou so dull of wit to ignore the Sweepers horde that cometh?"

"Who are Sweepers..?"

A deep, theatrical sigh. The door creaked open. *** Ursus, the Bloodfiend scholar, wasn't kind, but he was the closest thing to a father the City allowed. He couldn’t restore Dea’s sight, but for Gwynplaine he tried his best to fix The Morphos' "masterpiece". The staples bit deep, the scars remained, but the gaping maw became a smile—grotesque, but his.

For years, they were a Family. Gwynplaine learned to perform, turning his scars into comedy, his pain into pantomime. Dea clapped when he told stories. Ursus grumbled but never threw them out.

His Family was his world... Until the day that world ended.

Gwynplaine returned to their makeshift home to find Ursus bleeding out on the floor.

"Dea hath gone. Seek her not." The Bloodfiend’s voice was eerily calm for a man dying. "Abyssus abyssum invocat, my son."

Gwynplaine pressed shaking hands to the wound. "WHO DID THIS?!"

Ursus didn’t answer.

The knife was in his hand before he realized it—the cold steel pressed against his own throat. A short inhale.

"Not yet." *** A filthy alleyway. Gwynplaine wiped the blood from his blade with detached indifference, his gaze lingering on the informant’s corpse. Just as he’d suspected—all the threads had led him back to The Morphos.

Suddenly—applause. Slow, sarcastic.

"An entertaining performance. Surely you do realize you can’t take down an entire Syndicate alone?" said the man in the owl mask.

Gwynplaine spun sharply and raised his blade:

"Then I shall meet my end—in the trying."

"How artistic. But I have a far better alternative for you." *** Intro: "Gwynplaine, a humble mummer of the streets. Now—at thy service, O mine enigmatic patron." Particulars: Strong sense of justice, Theatrical manners [A hardworking and diligent sinner, generally compliant but prone to impulsive reactions when witnessing the suffering of others (a frequent sight in the City). In such moments, calm reasoning is the most effective approach. While he tolerates remarks about his appearance and past as a street performer, it is strongly advised not to provoke him excessively—his restraint has limits, and the consequences are not something you'd like to deal with.] E.G.O: Encore, Until the End ("May the abyss not close over the head of mine...") Sin Affinity: Wrath Facts: - Knows countless conjuring and card tricks. - Has great contortionist skills honed by years of practice and several surgical machinations. - Joints and scars ache in the cold. He never complains. - Has a phobia of doctors and anything medical-related. - His loathing towards the Wings runs deeper than he cares to admit.

*** And just a little funny thing lol Grenouille's never seen even the simplest tricks, so he's very impressed~

#project moon #limbus company #lcb oc #limbus company oc #project moon oc

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cecilysass · 20 days ago

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One Hand Tied (10/13)

Read on AO3 | Tagging @today-in-fic

Wednesday afternoon

She could have drugged them for the trip, but she chooses not to.

It would have been more sensible—keeping them uncertain of where they were, giving them less information—but Diana doesn’t want to do it. She doesn’t want to see Fox’s body crumple over again, to see the independence she admired in him snuffed out.

Instead, she orders Fox and Scully to sit side by side on the limo seat opposite her. And so they do. For hours.

They’re bound and gagged, so they can’t chit chat. Neither meets her eyes, and their faces are sullen.

Scully spends much of the trip staring listlessly out the car window, where she easily can see the visual detritus of I-95 south. Local billboards and highway signs, scraggly palmetto trees and cheap motels. Best seafood buffet in the South. Oranges, tee shirts, next exit. Welcome to Florida: The Rules Are Different Here.

Fox doesn’t exactly demonstrate his gratitude for the favor of being left conscious. He won’t spare Diana a passing glance, keeping his eyes closed for most of the trip. She notices he does sneak a few peeks at Scully, with an expression Diana could only describe as a starving man looking at a steak. Scully doesn’t seem to be meeting his eyes either.

So, Diana thinks with a tiny smile, folding her hands in her lap, she did manage to do some damage there. She can’t help but feel a little gratified, even if it didn’t work out how it was supposed to. It’s nice to know you have some small modicum of power in an unfortunate situation.

The recent vacancies in the organization have had the effect of a variety of properties suddenly becoming available for Syndicate business. Diana personally likes the penthouse on the upper west side in Manhattan best, but the castle in Delaware, though somewhat dilapidated, has been useful, too. It has a handy facility for keeping prisoners, plenty of space for housing staff and is convenient to metro DC. When she has secured a more powerful position in the organization, she plans to have it renovated and redesigned to be more comfortable. There are worse things than a beach castle.

If Alex hadn’t tried to play his little game of Spy Vs. Spy, they could be having lunch there with Spender now, working out the final details. So much wasted time.

She presses her lips together in frustration, thinking of Alex. He has been a thorn in her side since she arrived back stateside. This new recruit. She isn’t sure why the old men gave him so much responsibility; she thinks it’s painfully clear he’s green and arrogant.

Diana examines a nail thoughtfully. She doesn’t think Alex is the type she could fuck into distraction. Maybe it would have been worth a try. She’s been so absorbed in this Fox project she hasn’t considered using all her usual methods. She’d imprisoned him instead, ready to present Spender with convincing evidence he’s working against them. But it turns out he’s a better player than she’d thought.

So now, at Spender’s request, they’re all headed to this Florida beach property, a place that Diana has never been to. She isn’t especially fond of visiting her home state, and she wouldn’t put it past Spender to choose this particular location just to set her off balance.

The old man had been unimpressed that she’d been outsmarted by Alex. She knows she has to get the upper hand again. And now she has all of them—Alex, his idiot brother, Fox and his beloved partner. Hopefully it will be enough to get Spender back in her corner.

“Ma’am,” the driver says through the window. “The sign says 20 miles to Flagler Beach. I believe it’s not much longer.”

“Thank you,” she says. She turns to Fox and Scully with forced brightness. “That’s good news. I know you’ll be happy to stretch your legs.”

They both turn to her with cold eyes; Agent Scully’s are practically dry ice. Diana wants to squirm under their scrutiny. Instead, she turns to look out the window at the subtropical foliage rushing past.

“We’re in Florida,” she says to the window, projecting a calm confidence she doesn’t quite feel. More quietly: “This is where I’m from, you know.”

***

The limo pulls up a long drive to a stark, white modern house with smooth rounded edges, like a polished shell gleaming in the sun. The second car follows behind, the car that contains Krycek and his brother. Scully assumes they are still unconscious.

When Diana’s men open the door and gesture for Scully to get out, she’s immediately greeted by a faceful of warm, salt-tinged ocean air. Overhead, a single gull makes an unhurried loop, letting the sound of its calls carry away in the breeze.

As she follows one of Diana’s men up the walk to the entrance, Scully observes that the house has an enormous curving deck with high design white pool chairs. They are positioned to face the sun of the wide and windy beach.

In any other situation this would be idyllic. Scully finds herself stopping to stare, momentarily dazed by this change of scenery. She’s aware of Mulder’s steps behind her, and she wonders if he’s thinking the same.

“Keep walking,” the man in black in front of her orders over his shoulder.

“Isn’t it nice?” Diana says, her tone casual and conversational. Scully’s eyes follow as the woman walks past her in that elegant suit. She turns and takes a deep breath as though she’s savoring the sea air.

Diana’s behaving like she’s hosting a goddamned weekend beach getaway.

Scully doesn’t see the point of this kind of charade. Surely she understands that the gig is up. Surely she doesn't think anyone is fooled by this friendly, reasonable persona she puts on. Surely she doesn't think Mulder is softening towards her. Is she actually attempting to win him back?

There's abruptly a bitter taste in Scully's mouth behind the gag. She hopes that’s a ludicrous idea. But Mulder has not been entirely predictable where Diana is concerned.

Is she simply trying to upset them? Maybe she’s trying to specifically raise Scully’s ire. In that case, the affected attitude is working, although it also is unnecessary. Scully couldn’t possibly be filled with more loathing for this mercenary woman than she already is.

How could Diana do it to Mulder—playact at an entirely false relationship, an apparently serious one? He’d obviously truly loved Diana. Perhaps he still does. Mulder, who in his life had so few people to believe in him. Mulder who deserved to be loved—authentically loved. To be treated with care and respect and kindness.

Scully watches Diana enter a code into a keypad to get into the house, and she feels anger bubble through her whole body, like the blood in her veins is at a low boil.

She turns and glances quickly at Mulder, standing slightly behind her. He was so desperately trying to tell her something right before his gag was put back on. It seemed like he was saying that the condom in his bedroom was faked evidence—that it was set up by Diana. That her assumptions about the nature of their current relationship were wrong.

Scully has been considering this possibility on the drive. It still wouldn’t explain Diana spending the night, or his strange continued faith in her. And she knows it’s possible she’s simply interpreting his statement how she most wants to hear it.

But maybe it’s the truth. Maybe Scully has been manipulated into believing a lie. Frohike thought so all along.

She feels Mulder’s eyes on her as they walk inside.

The interior of the house is the same painful bright white, with large abstract paintings in muted shades of gray and white hanging on the walls. Two men stand with Scully and Mulder in the large living area while Diana walks from room to room to survey the premises, her heels clicking on marble floors.

She emerges again with a thoughtful expression on her face, her sunglasses now perched on her head. She walks to the large glass window and peers at the two limos parked outside, her other men standing around awaiting orders.

“We’ll need to carry Alex and his brother from the car inside,” she instructs. “Put Alex’s brother in the room with the bunk beds, and bring Alex in here to the sofa.” She regards the living room. “I’d like to have a little chat with him before Mr. Spender arrives.”

Mulder makes an angry sound through his gag, and it attracts Diana’s attention. She walks to him, a tiny, perturbed scowl on her forehead. As she reaches out and cups Mulder’s face, Scully can see him straighten his posture.

“Fox, I’m truly sorry,” she says in a honeyed voice. “I didn’t like lying to you. And … often I wasn’t lying. I mean that.”

Mulder glowers at her, his neck and jaw muscles tensing. Scully wants to shove this lying woman away from him. She doesn’t realize that in her anger she’s taking faster breaths through her nose, but Diana does.

“You can stand down, Agent Scully,” she says, throwing her a knowing smile. “I’m not going to hurt him. Or you, for that matter.”

Scully exchanges a fast, embarrassed look with Mulder.

“Put these two in one of the bedrooms,” she says to her men. “The one with the mirrored walls.”

***

Once again they are cuffed to a bed. This time, it’s a king size bed with a white satin duvet and a pile of gray and silver pillows. Scully despises the faux glitzy Miami Vice interior design of this house.

They’re positioned so they’re sitting on the bed with their wrists behind them, somehow secured to the headboard. As soon as he’s locked the door behind him, she squirms to try to see exactly how the cuffs are affixed, but her back is too close to the headboard to see.

Movement across the room catches her attention abruptly. The mirrored wall. It’s only their reflection: she and Mulder, bound and gagged side by side on an all-white bed in dirty clothes with tired eyes. Like some sad parody of kinky 1980s porn, she thinks morosely.

At least the mirror gives her some vantage point to see if she ducks her head. In the reflection it looks like they are both cuffed to a single metal crossbar, part of some jagged abstract design of metal bars arranged in interlocking triangles.

Mulder hasn’t moved the whole time. He sits with his eyes downcast, like he is thinking hard, probably still processing Diana’s betrayal. Scully hurts for him despite herself. She decides she will give him a few minutes of mourning before he’s going to have to focus on more practical matters.

At least it’s a good chance to work off the gag. She hasn’t had an opportunity to since she loosened it in the restroom, all those miles back. She bends her knee, drawing her bare leg to her face, trying to use her knee to knock the fabric out of her mouth. It’s like some awkward variation on a yoga pose. She knows she’s showing a lot of leg and ass as she does, but she figures Mulder is distracted by his grief or shock or heartbreak or whatever and must be used to this by now.

When she finally manages to free the loosened gag from her mouth, she lowers her leg and pushes it out further with her tongue.

“There,” she whispers as it falls down her chin. Mulder may not have been distracted enough not to watch her expose herself in this process. His eyes are definitely on her now, his gaze on the hem of her shorts. The idea that he could possibly be ogling her at this exact moment seems kind of ridiculous, though. She stretches her mouth out, moving her chin back and forth gingerly. “I’m tired of gags.”

He nods seriously, not looking away.

“Do you want help with yours?” she asks tremulously. His eyes meet hers. “Or did you want to try to get your hands free first?”

He nods again, humming a little. Then he tugs a little on the headboard with his hands, not quite as violently as he did at the motel. She can tell he is trying not to make a lot of noise, going for strong, sharp movements. It rattles promisingly, but it doesn’t budge. He seems to deflate.

“We’ll keep trying.” She bites her lip, calming her nerves. “Should I… your gag? I can…? Like you did?”

His eyes lock back on her, instantly alert.

“Right. It’s fine. Just, um, don’t move,” she says softly.

Then she leans towards him, her heart pounding, and bites the gag that lies flush against his prickly cheek. It is hard to get a grip on the fabric, so her mouth takes little nips against his skin and facial hair as she attempts to grab it. She feels him suck in air fast as she does.

Finally she catches the fabric in her teeth, and she stays there a moment, the puffs of her breath against his face. He doesn’t move a muscle.

She’d been undeniably aroused when he did this for her before. This feels somehow even more intimate. Waves of heat run through her.

Slowly she drags her head downward, trying to tug on the gag, but unable to separate the gesture from the image of intentionally trailing her mouth down his cheek and jaw.

When she has made it over his jaw bone, the gag falls and he releases a breath. She pulls away from him quickly, her heart racing, and sees that his eyes are now closed.

“Is that… good?” she asks hurriedly.

“Yes,” he croaks, blinking his eyes open. “That’s good. Thank you.”

“Well, you did it for me,” she breathes.

He nods again, like he is composing his thoughts. “Scully,” he says, his voice still hoarse, “about Diana. About … the condom you found.”

She shakes her head. “Mulder. Please. I want to get out of here,” she whispers. “No more cuffs and bathtubs and vans. Once we’re on our way home, we can talk about … whatever we need to. Can’t we? It’s just a distraction now.”

He’s obviously reluctant, but he nods slowly. “Okay. Let’s get out of here first.” He looks around, then begins to peer over his shoulder at the bed frame. “I think if we both worked at it, we could break off this fragment of the headboard,” he says. “This bed isn’t as sturdy as the one at the motel.”

“Good, yes,” she agrees. “But we have to stay quiet. We don’t know how close they are.”

***

It takes a good half hour of coordinated, nearly silent tugging on their cuffs—which is painful on their already chafed wrists—but they manage to pry a bar in the headboard forward far enough to slide their cuffs off. Mulder slides his off first, slipping off the bed, hopping up and down like an athlete warming up. It feels empowering, the first break they’ve had in forever.

“Yes,” he proclaims in a joyful whisper. “Freedom. Amazing work, Scully.”

“Not too loud,” whispers Scully anxiously. “And let’s make sure we keep some pillows piled up in front of the broken headboard, in case we have to quickly jump back in bed to pretend to be restrained.”

He wants to make an off-color joke, but he’s thrown off when she performs a high kick to push pillows back across the bed with her foot, once again exposing a dance hall girl stretch of her leg. This whole situation is going to kill him.

Mulder walks around the room, staring at the floor-to-ceiling mirrors. “You can see yourself from every angle in here, can’t you? This sort of reminds me of something,” he whispers over to her.

She shoots him a look.

“No,” he says, “it actually does remind me of something. A case I worked on in the VCU, a drug case. We once had a victim in a house with mirrors like this.”

She lowers her leg and looks at him, then at the walls. “Oh? Two way mirrors?”

“Yeah,” Mulder says. “Everywhere in the house.” He looks around the walls. “I think there was some kind of, uh, secret panel. You know, like in a murder mystery. Maybe there’s—”

The sound of voices, faintly, outside the door. He and Scully stare at one another in alarm, then quickly rush back to the bed, scooting to the middle of Scully’s pile of pillows, pressing their hands back against the broken headboard like they’re still cuffed.

If someone comes inside, Mulder thinks, hopefully they will just not look closely. Hopefully they will leave fast. They can’t do anything to disguise their missing gags.

The voices outside seem closer: Diana, probably. A male voice. Krycek? Is Diana now making small talk with him? He turns his head to look at Scully, and her intense blue eyes press back into his.

Just as he’s convinced himself they’re about to walk in, just as his muscles have tensed for fight or flight, the voices seem to grow more distant and move past the door.

Mulder releases a breath. Somewhere in the hall another door opens and closes.

Scully closes her eyes in relief. “Good.”

Mulder leans in to whisper to her. “We might not have long. Let’s go over the perimeter of the room. Each wall.”

She nods. They climb off the bed again, and they choose opposite sides of the room, looking up and down the mirrored panels from the floor to the ceiling.

“Hmm,” Mulder says, critically studying a mirrored dressing table. He spots a bobby pin sitting on the counter and maneuvers himself backwards so that he can grab it with his left hand. Might come in handy, he decides, thinking of the cuffs.

“Looking for panels to press would be easier with my hands free,” Scully sighs, looking at the floor to ceiling mirror helplessly. “It seems like one could use one’s hands to push the wall square inch by square inch. You could be more efficient.”

“Use your body,” Mulder says, pressing his entire body flush against the mirror. “See, I now know there’s no trap door anywhere in this particular Mulder-shaped area.”

He’d been joking around. But he sees Scully attempt it more seriously across the room, crushing her own body flat against the surface, as though her nose or her knees or tits would discover a secret passage. It’s funny—and, embarrassingly, kind of a turn on.

Jesus Christ, he needs to get home so that he can take care of himself privately. This is too long of a stretch under difficult conditions. He’s like a teenager right now.

He kicks the wall a little in repressed frustration, and his toe hits an electrical outlet. This hurts. It also seems to give way a little with a click, which makes him think he has broken it. But then he sees the modern white bureau adjacent to the bed has very slightly popped out of the wall, revealing a small and subtle entrance to a hallway. Scully suppresses a delighted gasp.

“Mulder, it’s just like in Nancy Drew or something,” she says excitedly, walking over to peer closer. “Do you think Diana knows it’s here?”

“She doesn’t seem to know the house very well.” Mulder says. “When we came in, she was looking around the place like she’d never been here.”

“You’re right,” Scully agrees. “But it sounds like Spender’s arriving soon. For all we know it’s his house.”

“Then we should get a move on, Miss Drew,” Mulder says with a shrug, gripping the filched bobby pin tight in his palm. “Ladies first?”

She rolls her eyes and nods, and he follows her into a small, very narrow hallway. He can soon see it’s lined by a long window with a view directly into the bedroom—a two-way mirror. The bed with the pile of pillows and the bent headboard is clearly visible right in front of them

He knows he should close the door behind them, and for a moment he worries how he’ll do it with his hands bound. When he taps it a little with his foot, it clicks shut easily of its own accord.

It becomes immediately darker. The passage is lit only by the light coming in from the bedroom, which is gray and pallid through the two-way mirror. Scully is staring at it in horrified fascination.

“Unsettling to have a two-way mirror in a bedroom,” she whispers. “I can think of no good reason for it.”

Mulder looks at her and raises his eyebrows. She just looks back at him with a silent sigh, not even bothering with an eye roll, and turns to walk the length of the room. On the other side she comes to a sharp turn in the passage.

“We must be behind the wall of the adjacent room now,” Mulder whispers. She nods. They turn another corner, the passage getting claustrophobically dim and small. There are no two way mirrors here. He squints at the walls, noting they seem to be unfinished, with bulges of insulation peeking through wooden frames.

As they walk it gets darker and darker. He’s been keeping intentionally close to Scully so he can keep track of exactly where she is, but when she reaches the end of this passage, he bumps into her.

“Shit,” she hisses.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s the end of the line,” she says glumly. “No more passage. Just a wall.” There is a pause. “No. Wait.”

“It’s safe to say I’m waiting.”

“‘Maybe it’s not the end,” she says. “I feel something in the wall. I think it might be another door.”

“Like another secret door?”

“Maybe,” Scully whispers. “I think this is a little door handle. I could … open it and see?”

They both are quiet, realizing the dilemma. They have no way of knowing where the door opens. If they open a door in plain view of their captors, their escape plan is abruptly over.

“I wish I knew the layout of the house better,” Mulder says. He frowns into the dark. “Can you hear anything? Outside the door? Let’s listen a second.”

They wait to hear any sound coming from the other side of the wall, but there is nothing. Mulder thinks he might hear the vibrations of some voice slightly muffled, but it is hard not to let his imagination go wild.

“I say we try,” Scully says. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?”

He exhales. “You’re probably right, but I don’t currently share your fearless attitude, Scully.”

“I’m going to pull the handle,” she says resolutely.

Mulder worries his lip with his teeth. She tugs. The door comes open with the faintest creak and a puff of stale air.

To his faint surprise, they are not overwhelmed with bright light. The other side of the door is even darker than their current location. In fact, Mulder can’t make out a single thing inside as he strains to see over Scully’s head.

She pokes her head all the way through the door to look around, then turns back to speak to him.

“It’s the inside of a cabinet,” she says. “I’d say a … freestanding closet sort of thing.”

“A wardrobe?” Mulder says.

“Something for hanging up clothing items on hangers,” Scully clarifies.

“They call that a wardrobe, Scully.” She turns to give him what he assumes is a beleaguered look, but it’s too dark to say for sure. “What?” he adds. “We’re obviously en route to Narnia now.”

“That would make us currently in Narnia,” Scully corrects, “because we are standing on the opposite side of a little door in the back wall of the wardrobe.” She experimentally sticks a foot through the door, tapping her toe on the floor within. “I’m going through, Mulder.”

“Really? Okay,” Mulder says nervously. “Careful.”

“You’re awfully anxious for the man who jumps on top of moving trains,” she comments.

Well, yes, he thinks. Because you’re going first. His chest constricts as she ducks through the short door and steps gingerly into the adjacent space.

“It’s just an empty cabinet,” Scully reports back. “Wardrobe, I mean. A few bathrobes or something hanging in here. It’s decently tall—I can almost stand up full height, but it’s fairly narrow.”

“Can you see out the front?” He squats down to try to see her through the little doorway. “Make out what room you’re in?”

There is quiet as Scully evidently tries to peer through the crack in the front wardrobe door. “I can’t see much,” she whispers. “I think it’s an office? Another bedroom, maybe? I don’t see anyone out there.”

“Is there room for me to enter the wardrobe, too?”

“Yes,” she says, after a moment. “I think so. It will be tight, but come on in.”

He stoops and ducks through the little doorway, finding himself immediately in a much more cramped space, surrounded by hanging fabric that must be items of clothing. It’s impossible for him to stand up completely, and as he tries to get his footing, he stumbles a little, reaching with his right hand behind him to steady himself. He inadvertently grabs hold of the tiny handle of the door and pulls it shut behind him with a slam.

“Shit,” Scully whispers in a tiny hiss.

They don’t move, standing uncomfortably frozen. He is wedged against the rear of the wardrobe—the now closed door—his legs akimbo, trying to hold himself up. She is standing in between his legs, her back and bound hands pressed against his abdomen.

There is no sound, no reaction from the room.

“No one’s out there,” Mulder comments in a whisper.

“So we should step out?”

He doesn’t answer, considering. He’s stupidly distracted by the simple, caveman sensation of her body pressed against his; Scully’s bound hands are perilously close to his dick and there is nothing either one of them can do about it.

“I guess so,” he decides. “Let’s—”

He’s interrupted by the sound of the door of the room opening. There are muffled, shuffling footsteps against a carpeted floor, and then and a deep, dramatic sigh.

Again he and Scully freeze, afraid even to draw breath.

“I’ll say one thing. It’s more fucking civilized than your Delaware dungeon.” Krycek’s voice.

“Sit, please,” Diana’s voice is curt. “When Spender arrives, we’ll have drinks on the patio where he can smoke.”

“Drinks.” Krycek sounds amused. “So fancy. Are you sure these cuffs are necessary?”

“I assume that’s a joke.”

“You and I could come to an understanding. We have common interests.”

“Alex, you’re lucky I’ve even left you alive.” Diana sounds contemptuous. “Prone, as you are, to self-aggrandizement and sloppy mistakes.”

Krycek’s laugh. “Now that’s textbook projection, Diana.”

“We’ll have to wait to see what Spender says,” she says airily. “I’ll have quite a tale to tell. I suspect he wouldn’t consider you a great loss.”

“So sure. So confident. Are you sure you have all the facts?”

There’s a pause. Mulder wishes he could see Diana’s face, to see her reaction to that.

“I don’t want you destroyed, Diana. Personally, I thought our best move all along was to be allies,” Krycek says conversationally. “When it comes down to it, you and I are the same.”

“Hardly a compliment,” she says coldly.

“We’re not about any cause. We look out for ourselves first. We’ll fuck people—and fuck people over—to get to the top. We do what we have to because these old men left no room in their kingdom for anyone younger.”

“If this is a ploy to win my sympathy,” Diana says, “I assure you it won’t work.”

“No?” Krycek says.

“No,” she answers.

Mulder hears Krycek snort. There is another pause.

“I can’t quite figure you out, Diana. Whether you have a convincing front going, or whether you’re just a much colder whore than I am.”

“I’m a much smarter whore than you, Alex.”

He chuckles. “Maybe.” He makes a thoughtful humming sound. “But the thing is, you really did love Mulder, and here you are serving him up on a platter like a stone cold bitch.”

“What makes you think I loved him?”

Her words are devastatingly casual. Mulder feels them like a blow. His muscles tense like he’s absorbing a hit.

So many lies.

In front of him, Scully has stiffened. It’s humiliating, he thinks, that she’s hearing this, too. It’s worse to have Scully know all the details. After all, she saw through Diana all along. She must be wondering how he could be such an easy dupe. She’s right to wonder.

He’s suddenly hyperaware of the heat produced by Scully’s body, so close to his.

What kind of a fucking idiot am I, he thinks.

Krycek laughs again. “Come on, Diana. If you didn’t care, you wouldn’t have had so much fun trying to crush Scully.”

Scully abruptly squirms, causing her hands to brush dangerously in front of his pelvis.

What does she think, hearing Diana’s motives confirmed like that? He wishes he could ask. He wishes he could put his hands on her shoulders and just pull her ear to his mouth to whisper directly. Actually he wishes he could drag her closer and kiss all doubts away.

“You wanted her to know you’d won back your man,” Krycek adds, a smirk in his tone. “You wanted it to hurt.”

Scully standing round-eyed in his bedroom, staring at that faked condom.

White hot anger flashes through Mulder suddenly, cutting through his inappropriate flares of desire. This whole situation makes him angry. He’s so tired of both of them being lied to, tired of being manipulated, so tired of being held back from his wants, so ridiculously tired of these cuffs.

In frustration his fingers begin to bend and mold the stolen bobby pin. Maybe he can create a lock pick. Maybe he can find the right angle to insert it into the lock on his cuffs.

“You ascribe all these petty motives to me, Alex,” Diana says. Her voice is filled with a bravado Mulder doesn’t quite buy. “It’s insulting. My only priority here is the work. You’d do well to think along the same lines.”

Miraculously the pin slips into the cuff lock. He releases a breath through his nose. Now he only needs to keep trying to wedge the piece of metal the right way to coax the pins of the lock.

“Aw, come on, Diana,” Krycek says, ever the provocateur. “You liked trying to blow up the little romance. But it didn’t work, huh? It must make you crazy that they’re not even fucking and he’d still choose to be with her every time.”

Mulder stops picking the lock, freezing for a moment in mortification. This truth—his truth—spoken so plainly, even by Krycek, feels like a shock of exposure. Somewhat equivalent to being pantsed in junior high school. Your ass hanging out in the breeze.

He closes his eyes. Scully doesn’t move in front of him.

What can he do? He can’t do anything but focus on the task at hand. Wincing in the dark, he begins picking the lock again.

“You know, Alex,” Diana says. Her tone sounds intentionally pitched to be casual, but with an edge. “I’ve always thought you had a bit of a soft spot for Fox yourself. Are you jealous?”

“Oh, I’m jealous that it wasn’t me assigned to seduce him at Quantico,” Krycek says. “Trust me, I wouldn’t have fucked it up so badly. And I’m jealous it wasn’t me who was assigned to be his partner and spy on the X-files. If they had sent me instead of Scully, this would’ve been over years and years ago.”

Diana laughs now, brittle and false. “Didn’t they assign you to be his partner and spy on the X-files? I recall hearing that didn’t end particularly well.”

“They never listen to me,” Krycek replies, his tone turning suddenly pitch black. “I told them Scully was a problem, and they handled that problem in the worst way possible.”

“I told them she was a problem, too,” Diana replies. “They never listen to me either.”

They both fall silent.

Tiny hairs rise on the back of Mulder’s neck as he continues to maneuver the pin in the lock. He knew some version of this kind of conversation must have happened, but it terrifies to think about Scully being discussed in this way. As a problem, by people who like to make their problems vanish.

And those people apparently include Diana.

It still rankles. All those times he spoke casually with Diana the last few months—when they had lunch at the Greek place near work to talk about a case, when she stopped by the bullpen to run an idea by him—she had been having simultaneous conversations with the Syndicate. Reporting everything he said, no doubt. About him. About Scully.

Again he feels his anger surging through every part of his body almost uncontrollably. He feels his muscles tighten everywhere; his limbs begin to tremble slightly.

The fingers gripping the bobby pin pick shake, too. And to his surprise, the last pins in the lock shift into place.

He feels the cuffs open. Very carefully, he slides them off.

***

#xfiles fanfic #the x files #x files fanfic #fox mulder #dana scully #xf fanfic #x files #msr #one hand tied

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